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An armload of Celosia Xantippe
An armload of Celosia Xantippe
Celosia Xantippe growing in the field
A close up of Celosia Xantippe
A bunch of Celosia Xantippe

Celosia ‘Xantippe’

Celosia argentea spicata

Features

  • Dryable
  • Easy to grow
  • Foliage & Filler
  • Heat-loving
  • Medium producer

Description

These easy-to-grow, heat-loving plants produce an abundance of long, thin, stems adorned with fuzzy, clover-like blooms. Textural, spike-shaped flowers are blush-pink and gradually fade to silver. This extremely productive variety makes a great cut flower—you can harvest the entire plant at once if desired. Papery seed heads can be used both fresh and dried.

Details

Plant type: annual
Height: 36 to 48 in
Site: full sun
Days to maturity: 100 to 120 days
Plant spacing: 12 in
Pinch: when 6 to 8 in tall

Seed Sowing & Growing Notes

Start seed indoors in trays 4 to 6 weeks before last frost; transplant out after all danger of frost has passed.

Harvesting/Vase Life

Harvest once flower heads reach desired size, but before they go to seed. Strip 80 percent of the foliage off during harvest. Do not put into the cooler. Expect a vase life of 10 to 14 days. Flowers can also be dried for later use. To dry, hang freshly cut stems upside down in a warm, dark place for 2 to 3 weeks or until they are firm to the touch.

Details

Description

These easy-to-grow, heat-loving plants produce an abundance of long, thin, stems adorned with fuzzy, clover-like blooms. Textural, spike-shaped flowers are blush-pink and gradually fade to silver. This extremely productive variety makes a great cut flower—you can harvest the entire plant at once if desired. Papery seed heads can be used both fresh and dried.

Details

Plant type: annual
Height: 36 to 48 in
Site: full sun
Days to maturity: 100 to 120 days
Plant spacing: 12 in
Pinch: when 6 to 8 in tall

Seed Sowing & Growing Notes

Start seed indoors in trays 4 to 6 weeks before last frost; transplant out after all danger of frost has passed.

Harvesting/Vase Life

Harvest once flower heads reach desired size, but before they go to seed. Strip 80 percent of the foliage off during harvest. Do not put into the cooler. Expect a vase life of 10 to 14 days. Flowers can also be dried for later use. To dry, hang freshly cut stems upside down in a warm, dark place for 2 to 3 weeks or until they are firm to the touch.

Sources

How to Grow

How to Grow

How to Grow Celosia
How to Grow Celosia

Celosia is a hardworking group of plants grown for their fuzzy, velvet-like flowers that come in a distinct range of shapes, including fans, plumes, and brains. They are vigorous, free-flowering, and easy to grow.
How to Start Flowers from Seed
How to Start Flowers from Seed

There’s nothing more rewarding than starting your own seeds. The benefits include getting a jump on the season, having access to hundreds of specialty varieties that you won’t find at your local nurseries or garden center and it’s the most inexpensive way to fill up your cutting garden fast.
Fabulous Foliages and Fillers
Fabulous Foliages and Fillers

Having a steady supply of foliage is key to successfully making bouquets throughout the season—in spring, during the long months of summer, and into early fall. In this post, I’ll share the best staple foliages and foliage-like fillers, along with several of my favorite varieties.
Discovering Dried Flowers
Discovering Dried Flowers

Many cut flower varieties can be used either fresh or dried. Drying flowers means you can preserve the abundance from your garden to be enjoyed later when nothing is blooming. There are so many ways to use dried flowers, seed pods, and grasses: in late autumn arrangements, adorning fresh holiday wreaths, or even mixed with fresh blooms.
Heat-loving Flowers and Foliage
Heat-loving Flowers and Foliage

If you live where the summers get hot and you are looking for some tried-and-true winners to plant in your cutting garden, the varieties in this collection are all great choices. These easy-to-grow flowers and foliage will produce abundantly all summer long.
How to Grow Celosia
How to Grow Celosia
How to Start Flowers from Seed
How to Start Flowers from Seed
Fabulous Foliages and Fillers
Fabulous Foliages and Fillers
Discovering Dried Flowers
Discovering Dried Flowers
Heat-loving Flowers and Foliage
Heat-loving Flowers and Foliage

Winter Mini Course

Learn how to start flowers from seed in this three-part video series

In our upcoming Winter Mini Course, you’ll learn everything you need to know to successfully start flowers from seed, including all of the necessary supplies, step-by-step instructions, special tips and tricks, and how to create a simple indoor seed-starting area.