Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ in the garden behind the mansion in Mississippi on 7-26-12. They are 74″ tall in this photo. Photo #112-6.
Wheat or Wheatstraw Celosia
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’
se-LO-see-uh ar-JEN-tee-uh
Celosia argentea (Spicata Group)
Synonyms of Celosia argentea (39) (Updated on 11-10-23): Amaranthus cristatus (L.) Noronha (1790), Amaranthus huttonii H.J.Veitch (1872), Amaranthus purpureus Dodoens ex Nieuwl. (1914), Amaranthus pyramidalis Noronha (1790), Celosia argentea var. cristata (L.) Kuntze (1891), Celosia argentea f. cristata (L.) Schinz (1934), Celosia argentea var. linearis E.Vilm. (1866), Celosia argentea var. margaritacea (L.) Iamonico (2013), Celosia argentea var. mumbaiana M.R.Almeida (2003), Celosia argentea var. plumosa (Barr & Sugden) Bakh.f. (unknown publication), Celosia argentea var. vera Kuntze (1891), *Celosia aurea J.Dix (1860), *Celosia aurea T.Moore (1861), Celosia castrensis L. (1762), Celosia cernua Roxb. (1820), Celosia cernua Andrews (1811), Celosia coccinea L. (1762), Celosia comosa Retz. (1791), Celosia cristata L. (1753), Celosia cristata var. castrensis (L.) Iamonico (2013), Celosia cristata var. humilis Hassk. (1842), Celosia debilis S.Moore (1916), Celosia huttonii Mast. (1872), Celosia japonica Houtt. (1777), Celosia japonica Mart. (1814), Celosia linearis Sweet ex Hook.f.(1885), Celosia margaritacea L.(1762), Celosia marylandica Retz. (1783), Celosia pallida Salisb. (1796), Celosia plumosa Barr & Sugden (1866), Celosia purpurea J.St.-Hil. (1808), Celosia pyramidalis Burm.f. (1768), Celosia spicata Barr & Sugden (1866) (nom. illeg.), Celosia splendens Schumach. & Thonn. (1827), Celosia stricta Hornem. (1819), Celosia swinhoei Hemsl. (1891), Chamissoa margaritacea (L.) Schouw (1847), Chamissoa stricta (Hornem.) Schouw (1847), Lophoxera comosa (Retz.) Raf. (1837), Lophoxera racemosa Raf. (1837). *POWO replaced Celosa aurea T.Moore (1861) with Celosia aurea J.Dix (1860). Most other databases still say Celosia aurea T.Moore so I have included both which makes 40 rather than 39 synonyms as shown on POWO. The editor of POWO said they found an earlier publication. The International Plant Names Index (IPNI) does not include Celosia aurea J.Dix as of 11-7-22 when this page was updated. I’m sure they will have it soon.
Celosia argentea are great plants and come in several shapes and sizes. Many cultivars are available to fit your needs and are easy to grow from seed.
As you see from the above list, there is a long list of synonyms for Celosia argentea. You will notice they are offered online (and catalogs) as Celosia argentea, Celosia argentea var. spicata, Celosia argentea var. cristata, Celosia spicata, Celosia cristata, etc. At the moment Celosia argentea is the accepted scientific and the other names are synonyms. It doesn’t particularly matter what growers call their plants as long as you get what you are looking for.
Celosia argentea L. is the accepted scientific name for the Cockscomb. The genus and species were both named and described as such by Carl von Linnaeus in the first edition of Species Plantarum in 1753.
As of 11-8-22 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Oline by Kew lists 46 species in the Celosia genus. It is a member of the plant family Amaranthaceae with 184 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.
THERE ARE SEVERAL LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING.
This photo taken on 7-26-12 shows the beautiful dark green and maroon leaves. Photo #112-5.
I bought my first seeds of ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ from Johnny’s Selected Seeds in the spring of 2012 when I was living at the mansion in Mississippi. I was a bit skeptical when it said they could grow to 9 feet in the south if they weren’t pinched back at 12 inches.
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ in another location in the garden on 11-22-13. I pinched the plants in this area at 12″ and I think they still grew to about 8′ tall. Photo #130-3.
Information I found online says this cultivar was discovered in Peru by a cut flower grower by the name of Ralph Cramer but I don’t know when. Then I ran across an article on The Gardener’s Workshop website called “White House Horticulturalist Tells All” from 2015… The author of the story met Wayne Amos, who was the White House horticulturist at the time, and he said “he” brought back the seeds from the Amazon… Hmmm…
<<<<2013 IN MISSOURI>>>>
These were from seeds I gathered in Mississippi that could have cross-pollinated with the Celosia argentea ‘Ruby Parfait’. They did have the green and maroon leaves, but they didn’t get as tall. The flowers also look much like ‘Ruby Parfait’. This photo was taken in Missouri on 9-17-13, photo #188-26.
In 2012 when I planted them in Mississippi, I had the ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ on one side of the sidewalk in the backyard and ‘Ruby Parfait’ on the other. It is “possible” that the later seeds I collected “could have been” crossed up. So, when I planted seeds in the spring of 2013, it was kinda shocking to find that both the Celosia ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ and ‘Ruby Parfait’ had the same bi-color leaves. Ummm… ‘Ruby Parfait’ isn’t supposed to look like that. So, the early ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ seeds and ‘Ruby Parfait’ seeds are pure, and the later ones were not. I had planted enough so I decided I would save the pure seeds for 2014.
This is the same cluster of plants from the above photo taken on 10-7-13.
As you can see from the above photo this group of plants looked really AWESOME!. When the plants were young the leaves were bi-color. As it got older, the leaves were solid green. The flowers are very bright!
<<<<2014>>>>
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ on 7-12-14, #231-32.
SO, in 2014 I did plant only the seeds I knew were going to be pure Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’. But this photo is the only one I took of them in 2014. I had rebuilt the old flower bed behind the foundation where my grandparent’s home was. A bed I built in the early 1980’s after I moved into the house after grandpa passed away. Too bad I don’t have photos because those plants grew an easy 8′ tall!
<<<<2015>>>>
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ seedlings on 5-16-15, photo 255-5.
In 2015 I didn’t have to plant any of the ‘Cramer’s Amazon seeds. The bigger plants in this photo are seedlings of the Oenothera biennis, Evening Primrose, that grows in a crack on what used to be the back porch of the old house. The Evening Primrose came up like crazy and I didn’t know the Celosia was there until I started to pull the Evening Primrose up. To my surprise, there were thousands of them!
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ seedlings on the south side of the house on 5-16-15, # 255-6.
They were just as bad on the south side of the house. I thought this was AWESOME at first but I soon had a HUGE problem. As I was pulling up the unwanted weeds and grass, I was also transplanting Celosia. SOON I had NO idea what I was going to do with them all. I thought about just sneaking around town and planting them here and there anonymously, kind of like Johnny Appleseed did. So, I took the Amish lady from Wagler’s Greenhouse some. (Getting a bit ahead of myself, in 2016 she had planted them all along the front of her garden along the road… A good 200′ of them. It did make me wonder what the backyard at the mansion looked like in Mississippi after I left.
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ seedlings on 6-14-15, #268-11.
This is a photo of a small area behind the old foundation. As you can see, they are pretty thick! I think I may never have to plant seeds again.
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ without the maroon on 6-14-15, #268-12.
As I was thinning, I noticed that some of the Celosia still didn’t have bi-color leaves, even the seeds that were pure ‘Cramer’s Amazon’. So, I put a few from the south side of the house in a spot all their own. I found some from the other bed and put them on the north side of the house next to the porch. Strange how the leaves are a lighter green and not even bi-color…
NICE Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ transplanted on the south side of the house on 6-27-15, #270-10.
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ are really nice robust plants. Good thing… They will need a strong root system to hold up these tall plants. This group is part of the seedlings I transplanted to the right side (east side) of the south bed from the left side. Sound confusing?
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ in the bed behind the old back porch on 7-12-15, #271-8.
The above photo shows some of the seedlings after I transplanted and thinned them out. Notice the Evening Primrose growing in the cracks on the floor of the old back porch?
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ in a new corner bed on 7-12-15, #271-9.
I dug a new corner bed and moved a few here. I had to do something with them!
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ next to the porch on the north side of the house on 10-3-15, #272-1.
The above photo shows the plants I transplanted to the north side of the house next to the side porch. These were a few of the ones without the maroon on their leaves. They were LOADED with flowers and many pollinating bees and flies loved them. When hardly anything else was in bloom, the Celosia provided them with food.
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ on the southwest corner of the house on 10-3-15, # 272-2.
Believe me, this was a sight to behold! On the south side of the house, the Celosia argentea var. spicata ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ grew easily over 8 feet tall… The plants in the corner here were the ones that didn’t have maroon on their leaves. The plants behind them did.
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’, with maroon on their leaves, on 10-3-15, #272-3.
These are the other plants in the right side of the bed on the south side of the house.
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ inflorescence on 10-3-15, #272-4.
The flower spike, or inflorescence, has HUNDREDS of small flowers. Each flower has a seed inside that will fall to the ground. After a frost, the flowers will droop downward and the seeds fall out. No wonder they come up so thick in the spring!
<<<<2016>>>>
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ on 10-5-16, #294-3.
The Celosia spicata ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ did very well in 2016, too. I didn’t have to plant any seeds because I had PLENTY of seedlings come up all on their own.
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ after a hard frost on 11-23-16.
Well, even though the “F” was later than usual in 2016, it was still sad to see it come. As you can see, the flowers are dropping down after the big zap which will allow their seeds to fall out.
<<<<2017>>>>
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ on 5-31-17, #339-5.
The Celosia ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ coming up in the spring… I am always ready for them to come up so I can get the early weeds and grass pulled…
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ on 6-11-17, #343-6.
After they get tall enough I can transplant the seedlings where I want them. There are always plenty to choose from.
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ on 6-18-17, #345-10.
I like a couple of rows along the wall on the south side of the house… The soil gets a little amending with decomposed cow manure every spring (if I have time). We have cows so we have plenty of “The Good Stuff”. 🙂
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ on 6-24-17, #349-23.
Harvey, an Old English Game Bantam rooster always tags along wherever I go when I am outside.
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ on 7-9-17, #355-10.
LOOKING GOOD!
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ on 7-19-17, #357-17.
Running out of words…
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ on 8-7-17, #365-9.
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ on 9-2-17, #370-5.
NICE!
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ on 9-27-17, #379-2.
The Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ looked very good when the above photo was taken on September 27, 2017. I experimented and planted a row of ‘Brocade’ Marigolds along the front of the bed. Man, did they go crazy!
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ on 10-22-17, #385-3.
We had a light frost so not many plants were severely affected. The ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ leaves did change color, though.
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ on 10-22-17, #385-4.
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ on 10-31-17, #387-5.
Well, after a good ZAP the Celosia argentea var. spicata ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ flowers hang down so all their seeds can drop. GEEZ! It’s a good thing they don’t all come up.
<<<<2018>>>>
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ on 5-25-18, #448-6.
Spring once again and the Celosia seedlings have emerged. We had a very cold January and the winter was fairly dry so I was wondering if they would come up well. Spring weeding on the south side of the house was a little late because I had to wait for seedlings to come up…
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ on 7-29-18, #487-27.
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ on 8-11-18, #494-1.
The above photo shows the longest flower for 2018.
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ on 8-26-18, #499-15.
With age and as the plants get taller, some of the leaves are not as variegated. This plant has nice variegation…
South bed with the Celosia argentea var. spicata ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ on 9-9-18, #505-15.
Looking good!
The south bed on 9-25-18, #512-6.
The Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ makes excellent background plants along a wall or fence. Bees and butterflies are attracted to their flowers. I didn’t get any photos of the bed taken after September 25.
<<<<2019>>>>
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ seedlings on 6-9-19, #585-5.
As usual, the Celosia argentea var. ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ has come up by the thousands and now I can move a few to their proper location along the wall of the house in the south bed. After it is so hot I don’t feel like working in the bed. 🙂
<<<<2021>>>>
Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ on 10-4-21, #840-3.
The Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ continued to come up in the south bed every year. I haven’t done much with the south bed for a few years, but I can always count on ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ to fill the area. They don’t get as tall when they aren’t thinned out…
In my opinion, Celosia argentea ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ has my FIVE GOLD STAR rating for garden performance. They have beautiful dark green and maroon variegated leaves that are unique to the ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ (at least I don’t know of any others). They can attain a height of 9′ even here in USDA Zone 6. If you don’t want them to get so tall, they can be pruned so they will make shorter and bushier plants. They readily self-sow and transplant very well if you water them until they get established (which only takes a few days). After that they are very drought tolerant but, like most plants, appreciate a little water during the heat of the summer when they don’t get enough rain. They perform very well in full sun or light shade. They make great cut flowers, even in dry arrangements (just realize they will drop seeds). Bees and butterflies really like them. Some websites say hummingbirds like them, too, but I haven’t noticed any on their flowers when I have been around. Just give them room because they also branch out.
The only drawback is that self-seeding annuals normally come up when the temps are just right for them to germinate. If you have lingering cool temps in the spring it can take a while. This can be a problem if you are waiting for them to come up before you actually plan your beds. The only suggestion is to just go ahead with your plans, leaving space for reseeding annuals to be transplanted as they come up. As with the case of this plant, there will be plenty even though you have dug areas they would have come up in. What would you do with all those plants anyway? 🙂
I hope you enjoyed this page and maybe found it useful. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, I would like to hear from you. Please click on “like” if you visited this page. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. 🙂 You can check out the links below for further reading. The links take you directly to the genus and species of this plant. If you notice I made an error, please let me know. You can always send me an email at thebelmontrooster@yahoo.com.
The Belmont Rooster 
The mullein was one I haven’t seen before and I thought it was beautiful .. being in zone 5b, I am thinking it might not over winter of course.
Then when you moved on to this amazing celosia .. that was a show stopper, I was thinking that I can get away with some plants in zone 6, so maybe ? .. I am a fan of towering plants .. I have two ordinary ones at the moment .. a thalictrum, Elin with it’s flower stalks topping 10 ft. .. a spray of lavender “bubbles” until they open with those tiny flowers .. the other is miscanthus giganteus .. I wanted a bit of a jungle feeling in my back garden ? LOL
Great post !
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Hello Joy! The Mullein are very neat plants for sure and some get very tall. I always like BIG and weird plants. The Celosia ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ has certainly proved itself here and I can send you some seeds later if you want. I let them go wild this year without thinning and transplanting them where I wanted them like before. That basically took over the south bed… Thanks for visiting and thanks for your comment!
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I have been growing ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ in my garden beds for the last seven years and love them. I use them in my fresh cut flower arrangements I make to give to family & friends. I can’t remember were I got my seeds from but they reseed so I’ve never had to sow seeds again. I meet a lot of gardeners and none grow this flower.
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Hello there! Glad to hear from you. I am glad you like them. They are great for sure and one of my favorites. I also like them because they reseed with no problem. I used to re-arrange them in rows but I haven’t had time for the past couple of years. The south bed where they are is a mess but they keep on coming back. LOL! I think some people prefer plants that don’t reseed so they can have a more organized bed. Transplanting is no big deal, though, and you can spread them around more and give extra plants away. Take care and thanks for the comment. Maybe it will encourage more people to give them a try.
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