14 Amazing Benefits of Cosmos Flowers

Cosmos flowers are exceptionally popular and pretty annuals that also have a range of brilliant uses and benefits. Not only are they easy to grow, but you can also use them to attract pollinators or as cut flowers. In this article, we’ll discover 14 amazing uses and benefits of cosmos flowers.

1. Cosmos Flowers Can Attract Pollinators

Cosmos flowers are some of the best annuals for attracting pollinators. Not only can this benefit your flowers, but it also benefits other plants and crops in your garden. Plus, they can help attract pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hoverflies.

These flowers are ideal for pollinators because they have large, open flower heads. This provides easy access to these beneficial insects. Remember that some pollinators will struggle to access cosmos flowers with double or semi-double blooms. Using chemical or synthetic fertilizers or pesticides can also harm pollinators and other beneficial insects, so go organic wherever possible.

2. These Flowers Are Easy to Grow

Cosmos flowers are one of the easiest annuals to grow. These fabulous annuals are pretty low-maintenance as long as you can avoid overwatering and give them lots of sunlight. I find them to be an ideal annual to grow if you’re an inexperienced gardener.

Above all else, cosmos flowers need plenty of sunlight – at least 6 to 8 hours of full sun a day, wherever possible. Water cosmos flowers about once per week and plant them in well-draining soils that don’t hold too many nutrients. Deadhead and cut-back cosmos flowers throughout the growing season to maximize their beautiful blooms.

3. Cosmos Are Great for Cut Flowers

Thanks to their prolific blooms and long cosmos flowering season, these flowers are an excellent cut flower crop. These blooms look great in vases or as part of a bouquet. Freshly cut flowers can last between 7 and 10 days.

Your plants will produce even more flowers if you use a cut-and-come-again approach. As you harvest flowers throughout the season, the cosmos will keep producing new ones until the first fall frosts. Pinching out young plants helps them build more flower stems for you to harvest.

4. Most Cosmos Flowers Are Annuals

Most species and types of cosmos are annuals, meaning each plant lasts for just one year. Annuals are ideal for growing in pots or filling empty spaces in borders. Like many annuals, these flowers also grow quickly and can be highly productive.

Once you’ve sown your seeds in the early spring, seedlings should appear in about 7 to 10 days. As long as they get plenty of warmth and sunlight, your plants should flower within 7 to 12 weeks of sowing. They can continue flowering throughout summer until the first frost hits in the fall.

5. Chocolate Cosmos Flowers Are Perennials

Although most cosmos species are annuals, the chocolate cosmos is the exception. This variety grows as a tuberous perennial, a bit like a dahlia. These have wonderful reddish-brown flowers with dark brown or black central florets.

Along with their rich colors, chocolate cosmos also have wonderfully scented petals that smell like cocoa or vanilla. Unlike annual varieties, these should be cut back to the ground after the first frost. As they come back each year, they’ll make grand garden statements.

6. Cosmos Flowers Enjoy a Long Blooming Season

One of the significant advantages of cosmos flowers is their long flowering season. They can bloom from early summer until the first frosts arrive in the fall. For several months, they produce plenty of gorgeous flowers and a feast for garden pollinators. However, they will quickly die off after they get hit by the first frost.

7. Cosmos Flowers Make Thoughtful Gifts

Due to their beautiful meanings and symbolism, these flowers are great gifts for several occasions. Cosmos flowers symbolize order, harmony, and beauty and can also symbolize love, peace, modesty, and tranquility.

Because they symbolize love, they can be a wonderful gift for Valentine’s Day. White cosmos also make beautiful wedding flowers. These flowers are an October birth flower, so they are ideal as a birthday gift for friends and family at this time.

8. Cosmos Flowers May Help Reduce Stress

It’s a well-known fact that nature, gardening, and flowers can help reduce stress and anxiety levels. And because cosmos flowers are so easy to grow, these annuals are the ideal stress relief. Studies have shown that even gardening just two or three times a week can start to relieve stress. Gardening also counts as low to medium-intensity exercise, meaning that growing these plants is good for both your physical and mental well-being.

9. Cosmos Can Be Grown Easily in Pots

Like many annuals, cosmos flowers are ideal for growing in pots. Because they only last for one year, they make fantastic temporary displays in containers, especially in a small garden. When growing these flowers in pots, water them once a week and fertilize cosmos flowers once a month or so.

If you’re growing in a pot, use well-draining soils that don’t hold too many nutrients. Use loose mediums such as chalky or sandy soils.

10. Cosmos Flowers Are Fantastic Ornamental Plants

Whether you’re growing cosmos flowers in containers or a garden border, these annuals add plenty of ornamental impact. Many varieties can grow up to 5 feet tall, so planting them at the back of a border takes full advantage of their height.

As annuals, they can also be used to fill gaps with a dramatic pop of temporary, seasonal color. They bloom in several colors, such as pink, purple, orange, yellow, and white. This range of shades allows you to work cosmos easily into your garden color scheme.

11. Cosmos Flowers Are Drought-Tolerant

Cosmos flowers are native to the open plains and meadows of Mexico and other areas of Central and South America. These conditions offer plenty of sun exposure and extended periods of drought. Thankfully, these plants are well-adapted to these conditions because they’re drought-tolerant.

Once established, these flowers only need watering once per week. They can tolerate most droughts in USDA Zones 2 to 11. However, extended periods of drought can damage these plants unless you water them more frequently.

12. Cosmos Don’t Have Many Diseases or Pests

One of the reasons why these flowers are so low-maintenance is that they don’t suffer from too many debilitating cosmos diseases or pests. Although aphids, plant bugs, and spider mites can infest these plants, they can be dealt with reasonably easily. These flowers can suffer from diseases such as botrytis blight and powdery mildew.

However, good care practices can help avoid these problems. As long as you avoid overwatering and provide enough sunlight, your flowers should stay pretty healthy.

13. You Can Dry Cosmos Flowers

As well as being excellent cut flowers, cosmos blooms can also be used as dried flowers. This helps preserve your blooms for vases and bouquets throughout the year. They can be dried by simply hanging them in a cool, dark cupboard. You can then add them to floral displays for some beautiful architectural structure and slightly faded color.

14. Some Cosmos Flowers Can Be Edible

A few species of cosmos flowers may also be edible, mainly species derived from yellow cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus). However, always double-check the exact species you have to ensure it’s safe to eat. These flowers can make a colorful garnish for salads, cakes, or drinks.

Yellow cosmos leaves may also be edible and can be mixed into salads. In Indonesia, Malaysia, and other parts of Southeast Asia, the king’s salad cosmos (Cosmos caudatus) is also eaten in salads. In these regions, it’s also known as “ulam raja”. The leaves have a mango-like taste.

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The Benefits of Cosmos Flowers – Wrapping Up

As well as their beautiful flowers and low-maintenance needs, cosmos flowers also have plenty of uses and benefits. These stunning annuals can attract pollinators, tolerate droughts, and work equally well in containers or garden borders as ornamental plants. Cosmos flowers also make excellent cut or dried flowers for vases and bouquets.