looking for these features......

15 years ago

Greetings~

Is there a cosmos or zinnia that can reach 3-4' with orange flower petals? I saw a plant that looked similar outside of Cabelas in St. Louis last summer. I've yet to find a seed packet with that description.

TIA

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Comments (10)

Donna
15 years ago
You must have seen Cosmos Bright Lights. It fits your description perfectly.
gardenlady48
Original Author
15 years ago
Wow, thanks donnabaskets for getting back to me! Now I know what to look for.
Happy Gardening...
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mmqchdygg
15 years ago
FYI- Bright Lights doesn't typically reach 3-4' here in my Z5 garden. I get probably 2-2 1/2 feet max. So YMMV on that one.

One thing you might try: Call that Cabela's location, and ask to speak to the person/company that does their landscaping. They'll know what they've got planted there.
diggerdee zone 6 CT
15 years ago
It wasn't possibly a tithonia that you saw, was it?

:)
Dee

Here is a link that might be useful: tithonia
gardenlady48
Original Author
15 years ago
Dee,
I don't think so...I remember the foliage reminding me of a very tall airy marigold foliage. Tithonia is described as velvety and bushy. BUT...I'm adding that one to my list! Gorgeous! Thank you for bringing it to my attention.
:-)
diggerdee zone 6 CT
15 years ago
Hmm, well, then maybe it was a cosmos. My Bright Lights didn't quite make it to 4ft, but maybe they were at least 3ft. And of course, just because they didn't grow that tall for me doesn't mean much, lol!

This year I'm trying cosmos Polidor. My Bright Lights didn't do so well last year, and Polidor is supposed to bloom earlier, so I'm giving that a shot. Besides, I love cosmos so much I have to try all of them, lol!

Glad you like the tithonia. I never liked orange before, but it has grown on me and tithonia is a great flower!

:)
Dee

Here is a link that might be useful: Polidor
Donna
15 years ago
Just for the sake of discussion, I would point out that climate can affect the size of plants. I have seen Bright Lights get as tall as I am (5'9") in our area. That is the main reason I don't often grow them. Of course, that doesn't help you in Illinois. If it's the height you need, you might want to try the Tithonia. It's beautiful.
franeli
15 years ago
There is a zinnia called 'Inca' in this year's Fedco seed catalog that grows waist high with hunter orange flowers.
Just a thought... it has long stems for cutting.
gardenlady48
Original Author
15 years ago
franeli,
wow! That one is going on my list too! Thanks for sharing that info with me....you guys are great!
Happy Gardening to all~
token28001
15 years ago
Just an FYI on the Bright Lights cosmos, I had some over 5' tall last year due to excessive nitrogen in the lasagna bed I created. I also had others under 2' tall from the same seed package. So I think it's possible they could reach that tall depending on location and growing conditions.

And they do look a lot like airy marigolds.