Plant Guide

Other Names:  Towering Orange Cosmos

Description:

A vigorous variety, sure to thrive in any garden; free flowering with a well branched, upright habit; vibrant orange flowers over the lacy foliage, gives an airy touch to the garden or border; best in full sun; tolerates poor soil, heat and humidity

Ornamental Features

Tall Orange Cosmos features showy orange daisy flowers at the ends of the stems from early summer to early fall. Its ferny leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Tall Orange Cosmos is an herbaceous annual with a mounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Tall Orange Cosmos is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting
• Hanging Baskets

Planting & Growing

Tall Orange Cosmos will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. This fast-growing annual will normally live for one full growing season, needing replacement the following year.

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by cuttings; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Tall Orange Cosmos is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.