Cosmos in Mpumalanga, South Africa
Every March and November respectively our countryside explodes with colour when pretty pink and white cosmos flowers bloom in late summer. They grow easily in the soil at the side of the roads disturbed by the road scrapers widening the verges.
Cosmos is a genus of about 20-26 species of annual and perennial plants in the family Asteraceae, native to scrub and meadow areas in Mexico (where the bulk of the species occur), the southern United States (Arizona, Florida), Central America, South America south to Paraguay and South Africa
They are herbaceous perennial plants growing 0.3-2 m tall. The leaves are simple, pinnate, or bipinnate, and arranged in opposite pairs. The flowers are produced in a capitulum with a ring of broad ray florets and a center of disc florets; flower color is very variable between the different species.
Cosmos next to a stream
Cosmos, along with many of our succulent and aloe species, have become regarded as indigenous in South Africa and bloom in various colours - white, pink, cerise and red - no yellow in South Africa.
It's against the law to pick the flowers next to the side of the road, but Cosmos seeds are now packaged and available at most nurseries. Growing them in the garden is easy and they make a wonderful country-style cut-flower arrangement.
"Cosmos" - watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - Maree
Cosmos flowers is a favourite subject of, and has inspired, artists throughout the years and have been depicted on many a canvass.
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| Cosmos growing wild in the country-side (photo by Jo-Ann Kruger) |
White Cosmos
Cosmos growing wild next to a stream
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Lots of cosmos are grown out here too but not aas a wild flower, here they are prized garden flowers. Some have a delightful scent.
ReplyDeleteHi Glennis, we also have them in gardens - the most gorgeous varieties are now available in seed packets. But my experience is, once you've got them in your garden, you never get rid of them!
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