About
Cosmos bipinnatus 'Xanthos' is an upright, half-hardy annual that reaches a height of up to 60 cm. It features delicate, finely-divided leaves and produces daisy-like blooms from summer through autumn. The flowers have lemon-yellow petals that transition to white at the edges, borne on branching stems.
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, Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- East-facing, South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H3
Plant details
- Plant type
- Annual Biennial
- Habit
- Columnar upright
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.5-1 metres
- Spread
- 0.5-1 metres
- Time to full height
- 1 year
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden, Patio and container plants, Wildlife gardens
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in moist, but well-drained soil in full sun. Suited to annual or cut-flower borders or as a summer infill
- Pruning
- Deadhead to prolong the flowering season
- Propagation
- See sowing seeds indoors
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to aphids and slugs
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to grey moulds