11/3/2026. From Perplexity AI. ID then When and How to Sow
What is the name of the plant in the attached photos? One photo are the seeds?
Your plant is sulfur cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus), also called orange cosmos or Klondike cosmos. I’m quite confident from the combination of flowers, foliage, and seeds in your photos, although the exact cultivated variety cannot be determined from these pictures.
What identifies it
- The bright orange, daisy-like flowers have yellow centers and broad petals with slightly notched tips.
- The leaves are deeply divided into narrow, pointed lobes.
- The tall, branching, airy growth in your second photo fits this species, which can reach about 6 feet.
- The long, narrow, dark, slightly curved seeds in your third photo are consistent with sulfur cosmos seeds.
About the seeds
The dark, firm-looking seeds are the best candidates to save; some lighter pieces may be immature seeds or dried flower material. Let the collected seeds dry thoroughly, then store them in a labeled paper envelope in a cool, dry place. Sulfur cosmos is an annual, but it readily reseeds—so a patch can return without the original plants surviving winter.
How to sow them
For your sulfur cosmos in the Mobile area, April is a good target: sow the saved seeds directly outdoors around April 1, 2027, once frost danger has passed and the soil is warming. Alabama Extension lists April 1 as the general planting date for tender summer annuals in South Alabama; adjust for that spring’s weather rather than treating it as a fixed deadline.aces+1
- Choose a sunny, well-drained spot. Cosmos flower best in full sun and don’t need rich soil or heavy fertilizing. Too much fertilizer can produce more foliage than flowers.almanac
- Clear away grass and weeds, then loosen the soil surface. Plant the seeds no more than ¼ inch deep and cover lightly with fine soil. You can sow them in small groups or scatter them across a prepared patch and lightly rake them in.almanac
- Water gently and keep the seedbed lightly moist while the seeds germinate. Once the plants are established, avoid keeping the soil constantly wet.almanac
- Thin the seedlings when they are a few inches tall. For the tall, bushy sulfur cosmos in your photos, aim for roughly 18–24 inches between plants; Alabama Extension recommends that spacing for sulfur cosmos.
Yes—you can start your sulfur cosmos seeds indoors for a head start on next year’s flowers. Start them about 4–6 weeks before you plan to plant them outside. For the early-April planting target we discussed for Mobile, that means roughly mid-February through early March 2027—not this fall.almanac
How to start them indoors
- Fill small pots or seed-tray cells with seed-starting mix, and moisten it before planting.
- Sow seeds about ¼ inch deep. Planting one or two per cell makes it easier to separate or thin the seedlings later.
- Keep them warm—about 70–75°F—and keep the mix moist but not waterlogged. Cosmos typically germinate in 7–14 days under those conditions.
- Give the seedlings strong light as soon as they emerge, using a bright location or a grow light.almanac
Moving them into the garden
About 7–10 days before transplanting, gradually introduce them to outdoor conditions. Start with a few hours in a sheltered, partly shaded spot, then increase their exposure to sunshine and wind each day. This process is called “hardening off.” Keep them watered during the transition.almanac
Plant them in the garden after frost danger has passed. Starting indoors is optional: sulfur cosmos also grows readily from seed sown directly into warm garden soil, so you could start a few indoors and save the rest for direct sowing.
