Outdoor Sun
Sunlight Requirement
Winter
Sowing Season
Annual
Type
Colourful Plume Blooms for Bright Summer Garden Displays
Celosia plumosa 'Icecream Mix', commonly known as Plumed Cockscomb, is a cheerful warm-season flowering annual from the Amaranthaceae family. This attractive variety is prized for its feathery flower plumes, excellent branching and uniform growth. Its vibrant colours and long-lasting blooms make it an excellent choice for adding striking seasonal colour to gardens and containers.
Icecream Mix produces an eye-catching blend of bright plume-shaped flowers in shades of cream, yellow, orange, pink, rose and red above fresh green foliage. Plants typically grow to a height of 25–35 cm with a spread of 20–25 cm, forming compact, bushy mounds that flower freely throughout the growing season. The colourful blooms also make attractive additions to fresh and dried floral arrangements.
In most parts of India, Icecream Mix flowers abundantly from summer through autumn. Its excellent tolerance to heat and humidity makes it a dependable choice for colourful flower beds, borders, balcony gardens and landscape plantings during the warmer months.
Environment
- Sunlight: Full Sun
- Suitable Soil Mix: Well-drained, fertile soil enriched with organic compost.
- Planting Season (India): February to July
- Seed Sowing Depth: Sow 2–3 mm deep in a fine seed-starting mix.
- Plant Spacing: 20–25 cm
- Germination Time: 7–10 days
- Days to Flowering: Approximately 8–10 weeks from sowing
- Watering: Keep the soil lightly moist during germination. Water regularly after establishment while avoiding waterlogging.
- Fertilizer: Balanced flowering fertilizer.
- Fertilizer Frequency: Every 2–3 weeks during active growth.
Seed Preparation & Sowing Tips
- No seed treatment is required before sowing.
- Sow seeds in a fine, well-drained seed-starting mix and cover lightly with a thin layer of growing medium.
- Maintain a temperature of 22–28°C for optimum germination.
- Keep the growing medium consistently moist but not waterlogged.
- Provide bright sunlight after germination to encourage sturdy, compact seedlings.
- Transplant seedlings after they develop 2–3 true leaves.
Landscape Uses
Celosia plumosa Icecream Mix is ideal for flower beds, borders, edging, patio containers, balcony planters and mass landscape plantings. Its colourful feathery plumes and long-lasting blooms also make it an excellent choice for fresh flower arrangements and dried floral displays.
