Cockscomd Seeds

Official Name:  Celosia cristata

General description: Cockscomb flowers are also known as Wool Flowers or Brain Celosia, suggestive of a highly colored brain. The flowers belong to the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae. Cockscomb blooms with a compacted crested head 2-5 inches across, on leafy stems that are 12-28 inches long. The flower's name is suggestive of a rooster's comb. The Cockscomb flower blooms from late summer through late fall. The Celosia plant is an annual dicotyledon.

How to grow: 

• Plant seedlings 8 inches apart in full sun and well-drained soil.
• Plant seeds indoors six to eight weeks before your region's last frost, then plant outdoors 8 inches apart.
• Keep the soil moist. Cockscomb does best in hot, slightly dry conditions, but will wilt if overly dry. Avoid wetting the flowers or leaves to prevent fungal diseases.
• Fertilize every four weeks or so. Cockscomb benefits from regular fertilizing.
• Pull out and discard in fall, once frost kills these plants.

Benefits: THE bright red cockscomb flower, or jiguan hua, is important in traditional Chinese medicine. According to the TCM bible "Ben Cao Gang Mu" ("Compendium of Materia Medica"), the flower is used to treat dysentery, bloody stools and uterine bleeding. Its seed is effective in cleaning the liver and improving eyesight.
As a "cold" TCM herb with a bitter taste, cockscomb flower can dispel inner heat, remove dampness and stop bleeding.