This is the type of plant Ingrini loves.
The vibrant purple oh-so-beautiful flower is only one of its many charms. Apart from being edible – yes you read right – they are also safe to have around your fur babies.
Interesting Facts About Celosia Caracas
- It originally came from Africa, Asia, Indonesia, and South America
- The Celosia Caracas is also known as Lagos spinach (Argentina), velvet flower (Mexico) and Rooster comb (Spain).
- The name comes from an Ancient Greek word meaning burning - referring to the flame-shaped flower head
- It is an annual plant - blossoms can last 8 to 10 weeks
- Celosia is one of about 50 species in its family
- Their leaves, young stems and flowers are used when cooking stew because of its mild spinach taste (can also be eaten as a side dish with pepper, garlic, and fresh lime)
Not only is it nutritional, but the Celosia has also been used for medicinal purposes to treat blood diseases, intestinal worms (more so tapeworm), chest problems, mouth sores, eye problems and diarrhoea.
In South America, Africa, West Indies and Asia it is grown as a nutritious leafy green vegetable. Yes, a vegetable. In fact, it is one of Nigeria’s leading green vegetables where it is known as soko yokoto - meaning, make husbands fat and happy.
Celebrated Occasion
This Celosia flower can be gifted for almost any occasion owing to its unusual flowers and bold colours. The flowers are cheerful and playful. The colours express courage, passion, and strength.
This plant is a great gift for the innovative, remarkable, sleek-and-glamourous, extraordinary individual. They also make great gifts as a token of respect for business contacts, neighbours or colleague.
Green Fingers
You’ll be happy to know that this plant is low maintenance and that is why people love them. All you need to do to keep them thriving is to make sure that they are kept/planted in sunny, bright areas and that the soil is wet.
Unfortunately, it only has a lifespan of one growing season. However, it is capable of reseeding itself (if you want more information on how to do this, MyGarden.org has more information).
The Celosia is a great enhancement to brighten up flower beds and can be planted as borders.
Pet Friendliness
You’ll be happy to know that the Celosia falls under the top 10 pet-friendly flowers according to Orchid Republic. However, even though a bite or two won’t cause any harm, research suggests not relying on this plant as a digestive option for your fur babies. Do not allow the plant to be entirely eaten.
References
Ingrini would like to give a big thank you to the following sources who provided very insightful information in order to write this post:
purple-celosia.com
Wikipedia
atozflowers.com
flowersbyranee.com
flowerinfo.org
mygarden.org
orchidrepublic.com