China Town Celosia Seeds

If there is a more colorful celosia, it's hard to imagine how China Town has won Europe's top honor for seeds—the Fleuroselect Quality Mark—and now it's set to conquer America.

These brilliant red blooms on matching red stems atop dark, deep purple leaves are so neon-bright they look freshly painted, yet they last from early summer into autumn on plants that are quite easy to grow. Great for the vase but also indescribably eye-catching in garden and container, China Town is an annual you'll want everywhere.

The seeds sprout in spring quite plain, with green leaves and nothing much to say for themselves. But as the warm weather of summer arrives and the buds begin to set, many things happen at once. The green vanishes in favor of a rich smoldering purple hue. The flowering stems turn red. And the buds burst into brilliant Chinese-lacquer red.

Although China Town only reaches 14 to 16 inches high and 8 inches wide, even a small planting makes a huge impact. The plant is compact enough for containers, yet offers an unforgettable presence that makes even a modest planting really pop.

This sun-lover does well in any well-drained garden soil. It's a fine choice for the annual bed, where it shows up magnificently against all the green-leaved plants. Cut the blooms for indoor arrangements, if you like, and use the foliage as filler in bouquets. Colors this intense deserve to be brought indoors. And you will have plenty of opportunity, for the flowering continues all summer and into autumn.