Celosia Plumosa (Chinese calls it Rooster Head Flower)

Last week while I was wandering around Jusco in One Utama, happened to saw them selling the seeds for this plant, managed to got myself 2 little packets and with mom and dad's help, we planted the seed yesterday (cross my fingers and say "this seed will cultivate")

I have deep impression with the plant because Penang's city council had done a good landscaping job using the red color species of the plant near the Island Hospital area. The plant is suppose to be easy to cultivate and maintain (hope so); a flower humid or arid environment, apart from easy maintenance, it can produce seeds up of around 200-700kg per hectare (Wikipedia says so) and the flowers can blossom up to 8 weeks (if lovers replace roses with this flower, the florist will close shop soon)

From what I searched on Google thus far, it is widely grown in tropical or near tropical climate countries, so not sure how well will it grow in a country with four seasons.

If you need a reason before you decide which plant in your garden, given its bright colors and it must to be for aesthetic reason, right? (Just like choosing lavender for its scent)


Surprisingly, the plants leaves are consumable (but I'm not going to try that) and in certain countries, it can be processed into cereal kind of thing (no thanks, I still want my muesli, oats, raisins and cranberries)

And if space is ample, you may consider planting this in rows, mimicking Tulip gardens of the Dutch. (And it's so much better looking than hibiscus..ewww..)




p.s. Luckily we have alternative to direct translate 鸡冠花 as Rooster Head Flower instead of Cock Head Flower.

Other name you can look for next time when you are in a plant nursery includes Cockscomb (yeah...my cock) and Prince of Wales' Feather (due to it's flowers being feather like.)