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Silvery Cockscomb

Celosia argentea

Commonly cultivated, rarely escaped or persistent in disturbed areas, such as along creeks. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

Not native to Virginia. 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
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At a glance

Life cycle
Annual or perennial
Bloom
July to November

Not yet recorded · Leaves

Recorded in 4 Virginia counties.

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

Watauga Falls
Named place / source context. Shown: Watauga Falls, North Carolina, a neighboring state.Watauga Falls, Illustrator/engraver not confidently attributed; reproduced in Zeigler and Grosscup, The Heart of the Alleghanies (1883), 1883. Public domain. Source record.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

7CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · 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

Virginia rankSNA
Global rankGNR
VA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Sources