Mammoth Magenta Celosia Seedlings | Celosia argentea var. cristata | Certified Organic
Deep pink crested celosia with green and orange foliage.
John Gill has been farming in Hurley, New York, for decades, and for many years his farm—now the home of the Hudson Valley Farm Hub—has been delighting guests with this unique celosia. Grown from seed that was conveyed to him by relatives who brought it back from Mexico, this variety is very tall—up to 6' in height—and is plumed with bright magenta, chenille-like, crested inflorescence that are so vivid they appear to glow, especially at dusk. The central blooms become many-layered magenta universes that harbour insect life, and the smaller blooms on side shoots make wonderful cut flowers.
Start indoors and transplant when seedlings are about 4" high. Transplant at farther spacing for tall, sturdy plants, or closer together for thinner stems and smaller flowers. Reaches over 5' high.
Days to Germination 5-7 days
Days to Maturity 100 days
Planting Depth ½"
Spacing in Row 12-18"
Spacing Between Rows 18"
Height at Maturity 60"
Width at Maturity 18"
Artwork by Denise Seavey. The fabric-like texture of the celosia is perfectly captured by this raw-edged applique panel, which is held together by free-motion quilting. Denise makes art quilts, including works that have added healing beauty to hospitals and clinics.
About Hudson Valley Seed Company
They are a values-driven seed company that practices and celebrates responsible seed production and stewardship. Hudson Valley are best known for their beautiful artist-design seed packs (Art Packs) that appeal to gardeners, gift buyers, and lovers of art and nature.
These Art Packs, most fundamentally, tell stories. Hudson Valley challenges artists to convey in a manner that is fully their own, the history and meaning of the seed variety contained in each pack. These stories were once integral to traditional societies-stories of seeds were often origin stories for entire communities and peoples, and the lore and beliefs that accumulated around seed varieties reflected the nearly familial way in which gardeners and farmers regarded their crops. Our society is, by and large, no longer connected to plants this way. But we like to think these Art Packs help to stitch our fragmented world back together: useful seeds, evocative art, both equally valuable to our experience of being human.