Best types of cosmos – 15 beautiful varieties to grow for a colorful summer display

Not only are all types of cosmos easy and inexpensive to grow, they produce an abundance of pretty, daisy-like flowers that can be cut for the vase during summer and early fall. They are native to Mexico, where they bloom in swathes of pink, white, and orange in sun-baked meadows and scrub. The name derives from the Greek kosmos, meaning ‘beauty and harmony of the universe’, and was adopted by Spanish missionary priests in Mexico, who appreciated the flower’s evenly arranged circle of petals.

There are three main types of cosmos widely available to gardeners: two annuals and one perennial. The annual forms (Cosmos bipinnatus and C. sulphureus) are half-hardy, which means their seeds must be sown under cover before risk of frost has passed. Having just one year to set seed, they will bloom with great abundance. C. sulphureus produces zesty-yellow, red, or orange blooms, while C. bipinnatus is usually pink or white. The tuberous perennial form is the chocolate-scented burgundy C. atrosanguineus, and you should grow this cosmos as you grow a dahlia.

The majority of gardeners tend to grow the pink or white forms of Cosmos bipinnatus. Possessing a cut-and-come-again flower habit (like a sweet pea), C. bipinnatus ought to be harvested regularly for the vase to maintain its impressive flower power. It’s also an excellent addition if you're looking for wildlife-friendly flowerbed ideas, since its nectar lures pollinators such as bees. Having escaped gardens, C. bipinnatus is now naturalised along the east coast of the US and Canada. Here, we take a closer look at all of these types of cosmos, so you can grow the right one for your yard.

15 gorgeous types of cosmos to grow in your yard

All these types of cosmos will inject charm and color and attract wildlife into the garden. They include floriferous annuals that can be cut for the vase, and fragrant perennials that bloom in dark, decadent shades.

1. Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Purity’

• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 2 to zone 11
• Height: 4ft
• Best for: Large white flowers

If you only grow one type of cosmos in your garden borders, it has to be this. Large crisp-white, daisy-flowers with golden centers bloom above fine apple-green foliage from June into October. It's a superb cutting garden flower and will grow in moist, well-drained soil in full sun.

In the iconic White Garden at Sissinghurst Castle Garden in Kent, England, ‘Purity’ grows alongside white-flowered and silver-leaved plants (such as Lychnis coronaria ‘Alba’ and ivory sweet peas) in a garden designed to be enjoy at dusk and in moonlight.

Find Cosmos 'Purity' seeds on Amazon.

2. Cosmos bipinnatus 'Sonata Pink'

• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 2 to zone 11
• Height: 1.5ft
• Best for: Soft, subtle color

This type of cosmos offers generous soft-pink saucer flowers with yellow button centers above delicate, divided foliage. Being compact, it is ideal for filling gaps at the front of the border or for using in your container gardening ideas. Happiest in moist, well-drained soil in full sun.

It combines well with the orange annual flowers of low-growing California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) or compact perennials, such as blue cranesbill Geranium Rozanne and pink marjoram Origanum laevigatum ‘Herrenhausen’.

This Cosmos Sonata Mix from Burpee offers complementing colors.

3. Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Daydream’ 

• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 2 to zone 11
• Height: 3ft
• Best for: Attracting bees

This is a brilliant flower for bees which would look at home in a cottage garden. The small shell-pink flowers have a circle of magenta pink around the central golden boss. It likes moist, well-drained soil in full sun.

Use ‘Daydream’ to fill gaps in the middle of the border alongside perennials such as Campanula persicifolia and Achillea ‘Paprika’, or enjoy it in an annual meadow with cornflowers and opium poppies.

Cosmos 'Daydream' seeds are available at Amazon.

4. Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Dazzler’

• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 2 to zone 11
• Height: 3ft
• Best for: Bold color

Vivid carmine-pink flowers with golden stamens to add rich color to borders. It is also superb in cut-flower arrangements, especially with limes and yellows, such as euphorbia or dill. Grow in moist, well-drained soil in full sun.

‘Dazzler’ combines well with other intense colors, such as Capri-pink Salvia microphylla ‘Cerro Potosí’, indigo Salvia viridis ‘Oxford Blue’, and chocolate Scabiosa atropurpurea ‘Black Knight’.

You can find Cosmos 'Dazzler' seeds on Amazon.

5. Cosmos sulphureus ‘Bright Lights’ 

• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 2 to zone 11
• Height: 3ft
• Best for: Combination of colors

A vibrant mix of fiery yellow, orange, and red semi-double flowers that look like marigolds or geums. Easy to grow and floriferous, from June into October, in moist, well-drained soil in full sun. Can be cut for the vase.

Pair with other happy brights for a vibrant garden color scheme (such as raspberry-pink Knautia macedonica), velvet colors (such as purple Salvia viridis ‘Blue Monday’ and claret Penstemon ‘Raven’), and limes (such as Nicotiana ‘Lime Green’).

Cosmos 'Bright Lights' seeds are available at Burpee.

6. Cosmos atrosanguineus

• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 7 to zone 9
• Height: 2ft
• Best for: Unusual scent

The chocolate cosmos is a Mexican native that bears velvet-maroon daisies in summer. Everyone experiences the odor differently – to some, it smells deliciously of chocolate, while others can only detect something reminiscent of raw meat. Unlike most cosmos (which are annuals), it is a tuberous perennial and should be treated like a dahlia, in moist, well-drained soil in full sun.

Breathtaking with reds, such as Crocosmia ‘Hellfire’, or the lavender tones of blue scabious and perovskia.

7. Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Pied Piper Red’

• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 2 to zone 11
• Height: 3ft
• Best for: Fluted petals

This is one of the most stunning types of cosmos thanks to its unusual fluted petals that are magenta within and pale lavender on the outside. It is a good cut flower, with divided, feathery foliage, and blooms for months. Grow in moist, well-drained soil in full sun.

Grow en masse in an annual wildflower meadow with other types of white and pink cosmos, which look charming bunched together in a vase; or use to fill gaps in borders, alongside perennials such as Achillea ‘Terracotta’.

8. Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Rubenza’

• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 2 to zone 11
• Height: 2.5ft
• Best for: A more compact size

This excellent form fades in color as it matures, so that one flower and those around it can be a medley of wine, ruby, and pink. Being compact, it may not need staking in the border, or can be grown in a garden planter. It needs moist, well-drained soil in full sun.

It works particularly well with purples (such as Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’) and other pinks (such as Achillea millefolium ‘Cerise Queen’), as well as different types of ornamental grass and native grass, including Stipa tenuissima.

Find Cosmos 'Rubenza' seeds on Amazon.

Shop beautiful planters for your cosmos

9. Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Candy Stripe’

• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 2 to zone 11
• Height: 2.5ft
• Best for: Unusual markings

White daisies rimmed with pink, above lovely, divided foliage, throughout summer and into fall. The width of the cerise edging varies, so that sometimes it’s predominantly a white flower, sometimes more of a pink flower. Happy in moist, well-drained soil in full sun.

Combine with whites, such as Orlaya grandiflora, and pinks, such as Lychnis coronaria. It’s also useful for filling gaps beside shrub roses, such as Gertrude Jekyll.

Find Cosmos 'Candy Stripe' seeds on Amazon.

10. Cosmos sulphureus ‘Cosmic Yellow’

• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 2 to zone 11
• Height: 1ft
• Best for: Growing in pots

Having sun-yellow flowers that resemble coreopsis, this compact cultivar will light up your patio ideas.

Grow in well-drained pots in sun, but make sure you keep the compost moist.

Pinch out tips for a bushy plant and deadhead flowers regularly to keep the blooms coming.

Purchase Cosmos 'Cosmic Yellow' seeds from Amazon.

11. Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Pink Popsocks'

• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 2 to zone 11
• Height: 2ft
• Best for: Attracting wildlife

An anemone-flowered sugar-pink cosmos that is a really good option for attracting wildlife.

For best results, grow it in a well-drained container in full sun and keep the compost moist. Pinch out the tips to create a bushier plant and deadhead regularly.

Find Cosmos 'Pink Popsocks' seeds on Amazon.

12. Cosmos atrosanguineus Chocamocha

• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 7 to zone 9
• Height: 1ft
• Best for: Overwintering indoors

A small version of the species, this chocolate-scented velvet-flowered perennial can be enjoyed in a well-drained container in sun in summer, before being overwintered indoors.

Make sure you water regularly when its in growth to encourage long-lasting blooms.

Find Cosmos 'Choca Mocha' seeds at Burpee.

13. Cosmos bipinnatus 'Xanthos' 

• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 2 to zone 11
• Height: 2ft
• Best for: Growing as a cut flower

This award-winning primrose-colored cosmos has heaps of charm and is compact enough to grow in containers. It needs moist, well-drained soil in full sun.

For a stunning display in a vase, combine it with white flowers, such as ammi.

Purchase Cosmos 'Xanthos' seeds from Amazon.

14. Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Double Click Rose Bonbon’

• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 2 to zone 11
• Height: 3ft
• Best for: Pairing with dahlias in a vase

When it comes to eye-catching types of cosmos, you can't get much better than this variety. Exuding vintage-shop charm, these double-pink blooms resemble satin flowers. Plant in moist, well-drained soil in full sun.

If you're cutting the flowers to display them in a vase indoors, pair them with scabious, verbena, and ever-popular dahlias. You can find more tips on how to grow dahlias in our guide.

Cosmos 'Double Click Bicolor Violet' (from Burpee) is another ruffled beauty.

15. Cosmos bipannatus ’Velouette’

• Hardiness: U hardiness zone 2 to zone 11
• Height: 3ft
• Best for: Bold color

This features pink-crimson and white striped or picotee flowers, reminiscent of raspberry-ripple ice cream. It requires moist, well-drained soil in full sun.

When displaying this stunning variety in a vase, pair it with with a riot of claret, pink, and red flowers.

FAQs

What time of year should you sow cosmos seeds?

You can sow seeds indoors in early spring, before transplanting outdoors later in the season. Or, you can plant cosmos seeds directly in the ground in May. In order to sow cosmos seeds outdoors directly, you need to ensure the risk of frost has passed and the ground is workable.

Do cosmos flowers self-seed?

Many types of cosmos are self-seeding. This will happen towards the end of the season and usually results in short-lived plants. However, in some cases, seeds will overwinter in the ground and germinate the following year.

Once you have chosen the right types of cosmos for your yard, read up on how to keep cosmos blooming for longer. Some things you can do to enjoy your flowers for longer include deadheading for repeat blooms and staking to prevent them flopping over.