Cosmos varieties & species: the most beautiful at a glance
The beautiful ornamental cosmos delights in summer with a multitude of delicately flowering blooms. A suitable cosmos variety and colour can be found for every garden or balcony.
With its long flowering period and many colourful flowers that are swarmed by bees and butterflies, cosmos (Cosmos) is a popular summer flower in the garden. There are annual and perennial species and thanks to their variety of colours, there is something for everyone.
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Cosmos varieties and species: how many are there?
The cosmos belongs to the composite family (Asteraceae) and originally comes from Mexico and Brazil. In Europe, the species Cosmos bipinnatus – the classic ornamental cosmos – is widespread. Through breeding, there are many different varieties in numerous colours. Cosmos bipinnatus is annual and only a few of the available varieties are perennial. By the way, all cosmos species are non-hardy.
The most beautiful species and varieties of cosmos at a glance
The colour palette of the approximately 48 cosmos species ranges from eye-catching shades of purple to pure white. So, there’s a suitable variety for every taste.
Keep reading to discover some of the most beautiful species and varieties. To find out more about how to plant and care for cosmos, see our other article.
Chocolate cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguineus)
The perennial chocolate cosmos owes its name to its beguiling scent of dark chocolate on warm summer evenings. It flowers from July to October and offers nectar and pollen to numerous bees during this time. Unfortunately, like all species of cosmos, it is not hardy and needs a frost-free environment to overwinter. An ideal location is in full sun with a humus-rich and well-drained soil. The chocolate cosmos tolerates dryness rather than too much moisture and should therefore be watered moderately. The following chocolate cosmos varieties look particularly beautiful:
- ‘Chocomacha’: this bright red Mexican summer flower has a unique, seductive scent of chocolate. The scent becomes more intense the warmer it gets. The chocolate cosmos reaches a growth height of 40 – 60cm.
- ‘Berlandiera Iyrata’: the yellow flowers of the true chocolate cosmos exude a gentle milk chocolate scent. It has a height of 90 – 120cm.
Garden cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)
The colourful flowers of the garden cosmos attract numerous insects during the flowering period from July to October. Its eight ray florets shine in shades of pink, white and red and delight every gardener’s heart. They are easy to care for and thrive best in a full sun location with humus-rich and well-drained soil, such as our Plantura Organic Flower Compost, which has an ideal nutrient composition for strong flowering.
- Perfect for all flowering plants in garden beds & pots
- For beautiful blossoms & healthy plant growth
- Peat-free & organic soil: CO2-saving composition
Dryness is less of a problem for the cosmos than waterlogging. Therefore, care should be taken that the soil does not get too wet when watering. A drainage layer is also advisable so that the water drains off well. The following cosmos varieties are popular:
- ‘Daydream’: this cosmos variety is characterised by its light pink coloured flowers with a pink to red inner ring. Its height of growth is between 100 – 120cm.
- ‘Gazebo’: its bright red petals ring a yellow centre and offer insects plenty of nectar and pollen. The cosmos reaches a growing height of about 1m.
- ‘Sonata White’: glowing white, it delights with its long and early flowering period from June – October. This ornamental cosmos reaches a height of 50 – 60cm.
- ‘Candy Stripes’: this feathery-leaved ornamental basket offers a play of colour with white garden cosmos flowers edged in red and records a growth height of 90 – 100cm.
- ‘Double Click’: With its double-petalled flowers in shades of red and pink, this unusual variety is ideal as a cut flower in a vase. It has a height of about 120cm.
Yellow garden cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus)
This cosmos is a unique and beautiful yellow-orange flowering annual perennial. The following varieties of yellow cosmos look very good in the garden or in pots:
- ‘Fire child’: this orange-flowered garden cosmos grows to around 50 – 60cm tall and delights insects with its long flowering period from June – November.
- ‘Xanthos’: this novel garden cosmos variety has velvety pale yellow flowers with an inner white ring. It grows to a height of 60cm and fits perfectly in a tub on the balcony or terrace. But the sulphur garden cosmos is also a real eye-catcher in the flower bed.
Also beautiful and quite undemanding is the sticky catchfly (Silene viscaria) — ideal for your own colourful garden in a warm and sunny location.
