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New Look Celosia brings an All American Selections award winner's pedigree directly into your garden. This compact annual celosia features vibrant scarlet plumes that rise above dark foliage on basal-branching plants, reaching just 5-6 inches tall and flowering reliably from mid-summer through fall. Growing 70-79 days to maturity in zones 3-11, it delivers constant color without the fussiness of taller varieties, thriving in full sun with minimal maintenance.
Full Sun
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3-11
6in H x ?in W
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Moderate
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New Look earned its 1988 All American Selections award because its crimson plumes stubbornly hold their color longer than nearly any other celosia on the market, staying vivid from summer heat waves straight through autumn frosts. The dark foliage beneath those scarlet flowers creates striking contrast, while the compact, bushy habit means you get full coverage in tight spaces. This isn't a flower that fades into the background; it performs like a fresh flower arrangement all season long.
New Look Celosia is grown primarily as a bedding plant and landscape accent, where its compact height and continuous blooming make it reliable for garden borders, containers, and mass plantings. The brilliant scarlet plumes also work well as cut flowers for fresh arrangements, particularly because they retain their intense color rather than fading as the season progresses.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost. Sow seeds on the surface or barely covered in seed-starting mix, as they need light to germinate. Keep soil consistently moist and warm (70-75°F) until sprouting, which typically occurs within 7-10 days. Thin seedlings or transplant individuals into small pots once they develop their first true leaves.
Transplant outdoors after the last frost date when soil has warmed to at least 60°F. Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7-10 days. Space plants 8 inches apart in all directions. Handle seedlings gently, as celosia is sensitive to root disturbance.
Direct sow seeds outdoors after all frost danger has passed and soil has warmed. Scatter seeds on prepared soil and press lightly into contact without burying them. Keep seedbed moist until germination.
No formal pruning is required for New Look Celosia given its naturally compact, bushy growth habit. Simply pinch back the growing tip when plants are young (around 3-4 inches tall) to encourage fuller branching, or allow the basal-branching habit to develop naturally. Deadheading spent flower spikes will keep plants blooming more prolifically.
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“New Look Celosia won the All American Selections award in 1988, a distinction that placed it among the year's most significant new garden introductions. This recognition elevated it from a simple ornamental into a trusted cultivar that seed companies and gardeners have relied on for decades. Its development focused on creating a celosia that would maintain vibrant color throughout an entire growing season, addressing a persistent weakness in earlier varieties that often faded under summer heat.”