'Flamingo Feather' Celosia

Deeringia spicata

Origin: Madagascar

Improvement status: Cultivar

Seeds per packet: ~100

Germination tested 11/2023: 97%

Life cycle: Annual

Flamingo Feather' wheat celosia deserves a place in any flower garden — but like its other celosia cousins, it's also an edible and nutritious leafy green! A member of the Amaranthaceae family, this species was long placed in the genus "Celosia" itself (and still often called C. argentea var. spicata or C. spicata), but in recent years taxonomists have moved it to the Deeringia genus. "Wheat celosia", so-called for the plant's superficial resemblance to wheat, is still used for the common name.

Native to the island of Madagascar and the nearby Aldabra atoll in the Seychelles, there are quite a few named cultivars of this species. We find 'Flamingo Feather' to be among the more subtle, but it is nevertheless spectacular. The flowers are not nearly as neon in color compared to the more well-known celosias (like cockscomb), which lends them a more naturalistic look in the garden. But a patch of 'Flamingo Feather' in a garden is still unique and eye-catching!

Our seed comes from the expert flower farmers at Wild Garden Seed in Philomath, Oregon.