If you’re looking for easy-to-grow annuals for your garden, you can’t do better than Celosia cristata. Commonly known as cockscomb or woolflowers the flowers of this tough annual plant resemble the comb of a rooster, hence the name. Saving cockscomb seeds is easy, and I recently learned a new trick for collecting these seeds.
Cockscombs make great cut flowers, but while growing them for bouquets you may miss out on collecting the seeds. A neighbor of mine grows these cockscombs for decorations at her church--that is if they flower thieves in the neighborhood don’t steal them first--and she’s shared seeds with several gardeners in the neighborhood over the years.
Normally I would wait for the flower to start to fade and just shake them in a paper bag to free and collect the seeds. You see, cockscombs don’t produce seeds pods like you’re accustomed to, and the seeds are produced below the crested flower.
To harvest the seeds my neighbor runs her finger nail along the hundreds of seed heads that develop below the flower and let’s them fall into the palm of her hand. This allows her to harvest the seeds before the flower fades, or before she's ready to cut the blooms for her church.
What you will get looks like this. A lot of small, shiny, black seeds mixed in with some chaff. You can separate the chaff from the seeds by placing all of this into a bowl and gently blowing the chaff to one side.
It’s easy to see when cockscomb seeds are ready to collect because the seed heads open up to reveal the shiny seeds. Another sign that the seeds are ripe for collecting is the presence of finches on the flowers. These small birds will land on the bloom and hang upside down to eat the seeds. If you see finches on your cockscomb flowers you know it’s time to collect the seeds.
Harvesting Celosia/Cockscomb Seeds
Update: I saw the neighbor harvesting seeds from her cockscomb flowers and went out and captured this video for the post on saving cockscomb seeds.
I love what your neighbour is doing for the church and the seed sharing with fellow gardeners. The cockscomb shown is simply spectacular. I'm inspired to plant some.
ReplyDeleteShe does seem to grow the best cockscombs I've ever seen. Most of the time I see them in other people's gardens they look anemic and not worth growing. But her crested flowers are so big and full that they grow to about the size of a toddler's head.
DeleteI should ask her what her secret is because I can't get them to grow that large.
Going to go try this. Just noticed as I went to try to collect the mail that my cockscomb had faded. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI also saw your reply on Twitter and I'm glad you got to save some seeds from your cockscombs!
DeleteI have about 2 dozen seeds! YAY! I will post my attempts Monday on my blog and share your link. Thank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you got more seeds than you would find in a seed packet of cockscomb seeds at the garden center. Congrats, you!
Deletewhat a fine specimen
ReplyDeleteI should see if I can get a picture of the whole patch of cockscomb flowers. It is really impressive. One of her church lady friends has a front yard that is all cockscombs. It's like a forest of these red brains. I don't know what she feeds them to get them to grow about 3-4 feet tall. I should go see if she planted any this year and take a picture. It's crazy!
DeleteIt almost looks like a small hydrangea blossom. I grew these years ago and with all of the new introductions kind of forgot about them. They are very impressive looking and might work along the south side where I am getting a little bored with the zinnias.
ReplyDeleteEileen
It's funny you mention zinnias. I started out loving them and have planted less of them in recent years in favor of other stuff.
DeleteVery slick that the bloom "hides" the seeds below the flower, lest the finches eat them all. I'd love to see "brains en masse"!
ReplyDeleteI'll try to get another picture of them and post them.
DeleteInteresting you site "flower thieves". I always suspected people were snipping my roses from the front lawn. One day my husband saw them and confirmed my suspicions. I can't believe its so rampant. Great color on the cockscombs..
ReplyDeleteThat's really unfortunate about your roses. Hopefully you got the issue squared away and they're no longer stealing your blooms.
DeleteWow！！！ what a great way!! So happy I came along your article when I am seaching answers for my assement, now I know how to save the seed for my cockscombs. Will give it a try soon :DDD Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteIs this the type of plant that can be eaten? I read on a few forums that the leaves make a great nutty salad, but is that true?
ReplyDeleteThis is the cockscomb flower which is a crested variety (Celosia cristata), They should not be ate. However the Celosia argentea is grown as a leaf vegetable and cereal crop. In southern Nigeria, it is the most important leaf vegetable and is known as soko.
DeleteNo this is the Celosia cristata species. However the Celosia argentea species is grown as a leaf vegetable and cereal crop. In southern Nigeria, it is the most important leaf vegetable and is known as soko.
DeleteCarolina, Celosia nomenclature is rather convoluted and murky. Botanically speaking Celosia cristata and Celosia argentea are most likely synonyms for the same plant. So to answer your question, yes this is edible and nutritious.
DeleteThe plant in the picture has been selected for good looks so may not taste quite as good as the other types, or it may not grow as many leaves or as fast or be as hardy as the others, but it is just as good for you and just as edible.
I have grown the Celosia cristata for years. The first year the flower was about 6 inches wide and with two other on same plant. It was awesome. I just throw the seeds out in spring and they come up so beautifully.
ReplyDeleteThis was so helpful. I have magenta ones & just lov'em. Thank you so much.
ReplyDelete