Bipinnatus
Velouette Cosmos is an heirloom annual that brings extraordinary visual drama to any garden with its unusual striped petals, where contrasting colors blend seamlessly with white, creating a pattern where each flower feels subtly different from the next. This Cosmos bipinnatus variety reaches 2 feet tall with profuse blooms that stretch from summer through fall, flowering 60 to 90 days from seed. The striping pattern becomes especially striking when plants are grown en masse, and the flowers themselves are generous cutting material that actually prolongs the blooming season when harvested regularly.
Full Sun
High
2-11
42in H x 30in W
Annual
High
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The unusual striping pattern creates an exciting visual effect that gardeners describe with genuine delight, with contrasting colors offset by white and each petal subtly different from the next. Velouette blooms prolifically throughout the season and serves equally well as a focal point in the landscape or as a cutting flower whose colors blend naturally together for arrangements that seem to arrange themselves. The plant self-sows readily, meaning once you grow it, it often returns the following year without effort.
Velouette Cosmos excels as a cutting flower, with blooms that should be harvested in the morning when petals are just opening and flowers are at their freshest. The striped coloring makes bouquets particularly striking, as the varied patterns create visual interest without requiring additional filler flowers. Beyond cutting, the plant functions as a landscape focal point, especially when planted en masse where the striping pattern becomes a dramatic garden feature. Gardeners also value it for continuous blooms throughout the season, making it reliable for maintaining color in beds and borders from summer into late fall.
Start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your last spring frost in seed-starting mix. Sow seeds 1 inch apart and cover with 1/2 inch of soil, keeping the mix moist and providing bright light until seedlings are ready to transplant. Maintain temperatures around 60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Sprouts emerge in 7 to 14 days under these conditions.
Once seedlings are large enough to handle, thin or transplant them to 8 inches apart. Harden off seedlings by gradually acclimating them to outdoor conditions over several days before transplanting outdoors after the last frost date, when the weather has warmed sufficiently.
Direct sow seeds outdoors in spring after the last frost date. Sow seeds at a depth of 1/8 to 1/4 inch and thin seedlings to 8 to 10 inches apart once they are established.
Harvest flowers in the morning when they are freshest and petals are just opening. Cut with a clean knife dipped in a 10% household bleach solution to reduce disease transmission. A few drops of bleach added to the vase water will prolong the beauty of cut flowers and extend their vase life significantly.
Cutting generous bouquets of flowers actually prolongs the blooming season by encouraging continued flower production, so regular harvest serves as a practical form of maintenance that extends your flowering window.
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“Velouette Cosmos is an heirloom variety of Cosmos bipinnatus with a lineage rooted in the development of striped cosmos cultivars. As an heirloom, it represents a preserved genetic line that gardeners have maintained and shared across generations, a practice central to seed saving movements that protect distinctive ornamental varieties from disappearing into the monoculture of modern horticulture. Its distinctive striped appearance and reliable self-sowing habit made it worthy of preservation by seed companies and home gardeners committed to maintaining the diversity of flowering annuals.”