Choose cosmos by species: garden cosmos for pink and white daisy forms, orange cosmos for heat and gold, or chocolate cosmos as a tuber plant. Coreopsis is another plant.
Choose garden cosmos, orange cosmos, or chocolate first
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Pink, white, or bicolor daisies | Garden cosmos (C. bipinnatus) | Assuming every mix is compact |
| Gold, orange, or scarlet in heat | Orange cosmos (C. sulphureus) | A cool, shady pink mix as a heat plant |
| Maroon scent, not a seed packet | Chocolate cosmos tubers | A pink mix sold as “chocolate” |
| Shop lookalikes | Feathery cosmos leaves and long stems | Coreopsis sold as orange cosmos |
Know your USDA hardiness zone before you pick a type of cosmos that will take your winter. Type your ZIP below.
2023 USDA ZIP listings (PRISM / USDA-ARS). Find Your USDA Hardiness Zone · Official USDA map.
Two annual species do most of the seed-rack work, plus chocolate as a tuber. [1] Garden cosmos is the tall, ferny pink-white plant; orange cosmos is shorter and handles heat better. [2] Mexican aster is another name for garden cosmos. [3] Chocolate cosmos is grown from tubers, not a reliable seed packet. [4] Care after you choose lives on How to Grow Cosmos. Chocolate tuber steps live on How to Grow Chocolate Cosmos.
What are the types of cosmos?
Garden cosmos for pink and white, orange cosmos for gold in heat, and chocolate cosmos as a tuber. Compact and tall series sit inside those species.
Kinds we hold
Garden cosmos
Garden cosmos such as Sonata Series and ‘Candy Stripe’ is the pink-white-crimson annual with ferny leaves. Read height on the packet — compact versus tall cutting rows.
Orange / sulfur cosmos
Orange cosmos such as ‘Bright Lights’ and ‘Cosmic Orange’ holds heat better and reads gold, orange, or scarlet. Foliage is coarser than garden cosmos.
Chocolate cosmos
chocolate cosmos is a maroon, chocolate-scented tuber, not a third annual packet. Buy plants or tubers. Plant-out and winter storage live on How to Grow Chocolate Cosmos.
Not types — Coreopsis, extra shop names
- Coreopsis — another daisy genus. Yellow tickseed is not orange cosmos, even when the flower looks close.
- A wildflower mix labeled cosmos — may be mostly other annuals. Check the species line on the packet.
- Chocolate as a paint chip on a pink mix — garden cosmos does not become a tuber plant because the packet used the word chocolate.
Is chocolate cosmos the same as garden cosmos?
No. Chocolate cosmos is Cosmos atrosanguineus, a tender tuber. Garden cosmos is an annual grown from seed.
Partners live on Cosmos Companion Plants. Sow steps live on Growing Cosmos from Seed.
Pick the species, then grow it on How to Grow Cosmos.
FAQ
What is the difference between cosmos bipinnatus and sulphureus?
Garden cosmos (bipinnatus) is the ferny pink-white annual. Orange cosmos (sulphureus) is the gold-orange heat plant with coarser leaves.
Which cosmos stays short for a patio?
A tagged compact series such as Sonata or Cosmic, not a tall Sensation-type packet.
Are double cosmos good for bees?
Open singles are easier for bees. Very double forms hide the disk. Pick singles if pollinators are the job.
Do cosmos come back every year?
Annuals return only if seed drops and germinates. Chocolate cosmos returns from tubers where winters stay mild, or if you lift and store them.
Can I get chocolate scent from a pink mix?
No. Buy chocolate cosmos as a plant or tuber. A pink seed mix will not flower chocolate.
Do all cosmos share the same care?
Sun and lean ground are shared. Chocolate wants a tuber plant-out, not the annual sow. Keep-alive steps live on How to Grow Cosmos.
Related guides
References
- [1] Utah State University Extension -
https://extension.usu.edu/yardandgarden/research/cosmos-in-the-garden - [2] UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions -
https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/cosmos/ - [3] NC State Extension -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cosmos-bipinnatus/ - [4] Gardener's Path -
https://gardenerspath.com/plants/flowers/grow-cosmos/
This note is part of Cosmos Guides.
More type comparisons by plant are gathered in Types of Plants Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors