States
North CarolinaTennesseeGeorgiaSouth CarolinaKentuckyAlabamaArkansasFloridaLouisianaMississippiVirginiaWest Virginia
Menu

Silvery Cockscomb

Celosia argentea

In the Carolinas and Georgia, commonly cultivated, rarely escaped or persistent in disturbed areas, such as along creeks. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you

—
Not native

Not native to Louisiana. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 76%

Height
9 inches–1.5 feet
Spread
9 inches–1 foot
Light
Full sun
Soil moisture
Dry to average
See native alternatives

Plant this instead

Choose your county to list local plants first.

  • Meadow Garlic
    Allium canadense

    Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Somewhat dry to moist. Flowers: Pink, purple or white.

    Similar growth form, height, spread

  • Slender False Foxglove
    Agalinis tenuifolia

    Sun: Full sun. Soil: Somewhat dry to moist. Flowers: Pink or purple.

    Similar growth form, height, spread

  • Wild Blue Phlox
    Phlox divaricata

    Sun: Dappled sunlight, Deep shade, Partial shade. Soil: Usually moist. Flowers: Blue or purple.

    Similar growth form, height, spread

Refine these alternatives in the finder

Check a whole list of plants

At a glance

Life cycle
Annual or perennial
Bloom
July to November

Not yet recorded · Leaves

Recorded in 4 Louisiana parishes.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Streams, rivers and their banks

Flowing water and its banks, bars and rocky shoals.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

7CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including LA

Genus host records with ranges including LA · Celosia

  • Amyna strictaEight-Spot Moth
  • Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
  • Pholisora catullusCommon Sootywing
  • Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
  • Spoladea recurvalisHawaiian Beet Webworm
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Amaranthaceae
Hardiness
Zones 10a–11b
Soil pH
Neutral
Flower color
Yellow, orange, pink or purple

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Celosia; Cockscomb; Cooks Comb; Cresta dDe Gallo; Silver Cocks Comb; Silver Cookscomb

Conservation status

Louisiana rankSNA
Global rankGNR
LA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Sources