About
Cosmos atrosanguineus is a spreading perennial that forms tubers. Its foliage consists of pinnately divided leaves. In late summer, it produces bowl-shaped flower heads that are maroon-crimson and emit a chocolate fragrance.
About the genus
Cosmos comprises both annual and perennial species characterized by either simple or pinnately divided foliage. These plants produce sizable, long-stemmed flowers resembling daisies during the summer months.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing, East-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H3
Plant details
- Plant type
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Habit
- Spreading branched
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.5-1 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- City and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden
- Native to
- Mexico
- Fragrance
- Flower
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in a moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full sun. Mulch in autumn; in cold areas lift tubers before first frosts and keep frost-free over winter.
- Pruning
- Deadhead to prolong flowering
- Propagation
- See sowing seeds indoors
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to foot rot and grey moulds