Celosia

Celosia is a small genus of edible and ornamental plants in the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae. Species are commonly known as woolflowers, or if the flower heads are crested with fasciation, cockscombs. In many cultures, medicinally it is used as a treatment for intestinal worms (particularly tapeworm), blood diseases, mouth sores, eye problems and more.

As a garden plant, seed production in these plants is very high, so make sure you really enjoy the plant as it is a great reseeder. The plants are very hardy with the flowers ranging from white to yellow, pink and red. The flowers are great to use in both fresh and dried floral arrangements.

As a food, Celosia argentea, or Lagos spinach, is a broadleaf annual leaf vegetable. It grows widespread in Mexico, northern South America, tropical Africa, the West Indies, India, Indonesia, South, East and Southeast Asia where it is grown as a native or naturalized wildflower, and is cultivated as a nutritional leafy green vegetable. Their leaves and young stems are used in a variety of dishes and stews, as they soften up readily in cooking. The leaves have a soft texture and a mild, spinach-like taste. In the future, it might become more widely eaten, especially in the hot and malnourished regions of the equatorial zones. It has already been hailed as the “often-wished-for vegetable that grows like a weed without demanding all the tender loving care that other vegetables seem to need,” according to Martin Price, of Florida. He says, “Everywhere I have tried it, it grows with no work. We have had no disease problems and very little insect damage. It reseeds itself abundantly.” Even though Celosia is a very simple plant, it does need moderate soil moisture.

The Smith County Master Gardener program is a volunteer organization in connection with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.