Name: Cosmos sulphureus ‘Bright Lights’ aka sulphur cosmos.
Type of Plant: Summer-flowering annual for full sun.
Why I Love/Hate this plant It’s no secret that I love a good splash of orange in the summer garden, especially when it’s combined with blue, pink and purple. And I also appreciate a large bed of annuals planted “field style,” with several different heights of plants growing in together, much as they would in nature. No stair-step, low to high for me! So it’s no wonder that I live Bright Lights Cosmos, because it is taller than many other annuals but airy enough to co-exist with them.
I also love how easy this plant is to grow from seed. I plant them in six-packs in my seed-starting shed in late April for transplanting into my garden in late May. The bumble bees love this plant as much as I do,
A Word to the Wise: If you live somewhere that has a warmer spring, you can direct sow these in the garden in May. It also helps to deadhead them in late-July, or just pick as a cut flower through the summer to lengthen their bloom time.
I bought my Cosmos seed from Burpee, and it’s on my must-grow list for next summer as well.
In my Annual Alley I like to mix it up. Bright Lights plays well with others.
Like many seed-grown plants, colors can vary. I have mostly solid orange plants this year but some are stripped with darker orange, while others lean toward a orange-gold.
The bumble bees love this flower too.
I planted Bright Lights with some pink gomphrena, red salvia, assorted zinnias, Blue Horizon Ageratum, and sweet potato vine.
I love cosmos but so does some sort of critter…they were all beheaded, repeatedly. Any suggestions?