Plume Celosia
Cramer's Burgundy Celosia is a prolific, wine-colored crested celosia that brings deep jewel tones to summer and fall gardens from June through November. This open-pollinated cultivar reaches a compact 30 inches tall and 12 inches wide, making it ideal for borders, containers, and cutting gardens. From seed to bloom takes 84 to 98 days, rewarding patient gardeners with abundant velvety flower heads that attract pollinators while thriving in full sun with moderate water.
Full Sun
Moderate
2-11
30in H x 12in W
Annual
High
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What sets Cramer's Burgundy apart is its prolific flowering habit and those rich wine-colored, crested blooms that seem to glow against green foliage. Beyond the garden, this variety shines as both a fresh and dried cut flower, holding its color and texture beautifully through the entire season. The fact that it's edible adds another layer of possibility for creative gardeners, whether you're composing bouquets or exploring culinary uses. It's the kind of plant that earns its garden space through sheer generosity of bloom.
Cramer's Burgundy Celosia excels as a cut flower, whether you're harvesting stems for fresh arrangements or drying them for long-lasting dried bouquets. The wine-colored, crested flower heads maintain their striking color and texture whether displayed fresh in water or preserved through hang-drying in a dark space. Beyond floristry, the edible flowers and foliage offer possibilities for gardeners interested in exploring less conventional culinary uses, though this variety is primarily grown for its visual and pollinator-attracting qualities.
Sow seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost date. Light is required for germination, so cover seeds very lightly with vermiculite just to hold them in place rather than burying them. Keep seedlings at 68-78°F until germination occurs, then reduce temperature to 63-68°F. Grow seedlings in roomy cell packs to prevent them from becoming rootbound, which can trigger premature flowering. Harden off seedlings before transplanting outdoors after all danger of frost has passed.
Transplant hardened-off seedlings outdoors after the last frost date when soil has warmed. Space plants 1 inch apart, though wider spacing of 6 inches may be preferred depending on your design goals. Pinching is recommended to encourage branching and a fuller plant habit.
Direct sowing is possible only in locations with a long growing season. Sow seeds about two weeks after your last frost date at a depth of 1/8 inch for later blooms.
For fresh cut flowers, harvest when blooms are fully developed and stems are firm at the base of the flower head. For dried arrangements, harvest at the same stage as you would for fresh cutting, fully open flowers with sturdy stems. Remove all foliage from the stems and hang bundles upside down in a dark, well-ventilated location to dry completely, which preserves the wine color beautifully.
Pinching celosia seedlings or young plants will encourage branching and create fuller, more prolific plants. This practice works especially well with this variety's bush growth habit to maximize flower production throughout the season.
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