RARE Cosmos seeds needing responsible homes

[annew]

Lesley in New Zealand sent me seeds of her fertile form of Cosmos atrosanguineus 3 years ago. The accepted wisdom is that there is only one clone of this species in existence which is sterile. I raised 3 plants from the seeds, of which I still have one. This year I planted it with a plant of the commercial clone and have been hand pollinating. I now have a small quantity of seeds. I would like to send a few to some forum members to grow on, in order to perpetuate the fertile form in cultivation (and also so someone can replace mine if I kill it!). It is not fully hardy and needs to be kept frost-free over winter, at least until we have enough to test. Will anyone accept the challenge?
In the photo, the fertile parent is on the left, and the commercial clone on the right.

[fleurbleue]

 Hello Annew
I would be very delighted with some seeds of this marvellous cosmos   If you can send someones to me, could you give me the best infos for making a success with them   ? My address by PM
 

[annew]

I think I sowed the seeds with a little heat in late March. They were potted into a well drained mix and grown on, over winter kept in a cold greenhouse, no lower than -2C.

[Lesley Cox]

I should expand a little on Anne's note. While I was able to collect a little seed the last couple of years, most of what I've distributed was given to me by my friend Joan McDonald who lives nearby. She and I both have a fertile clone and hers produces more seed than mine, but whatever, we're just happy to have them.

I sow the seed on usual seed mixture and cover the seed with grit. It usually germinates quickly, days even, then leave them outside until late autumn, protecting them from frosts for the first winter until there is a tuber formed. Thereafter they seem to be hardy enough here, but I don't get more than about -5 or -6C in our winter. I think over wetness in winter could be a problem.

The flowers on my plants vary somewhat, between the two forms Anne shows but all are chocolate-scanted.

[fleurbleue]

Thank you Annew and Lesley for these additional advices 

[Ezeiza]

May I add that thanks to a blessed soul  I am able to grow this invaluable plant. Under our mild conditions and a very long summer this species deeply dislike the heat and care must be taken to give it cooler afternoon condiitions. This points to a mountain habitat and I imagine it should do well in the cool parts of Australia.

[cohan]

nice colour! is the plant similar to the common garden cosmos?

[Rodger Whitlock]

nice colour! is the plant similar to the common garden cosmos?

Not really. It's more akin to a dahlia or Nicotiana sylvestris, with fleshy roots that need protection from hard freezes. I suspect that it also dislikes winter wet in general.

Even here in Victoria, it's really only suitable for pot cultivation. In Alberta, you'd definitely have to give it dry, cold, but frost-free, storage over winter.

It also tends to emerge quite late, so there's always the temptation to overwater it before it's growing actively, resulting in the roots rotting.

The thing that many people find especially attractive about this cosmos is that the flowers are scented of chocolate, much like Berlandiera lyrata.

[cohan]

thanks rodger, i was thinking more of the appearance of the plant;
 it did sound like it would be tender, and i like to keep my tender plants small, not much into lifting things in fall...lol

[Afloden]

I would not mind a few seeds. My professor is a specialist in the Asteraceae.

Aaron

[fleurbleue]

Hi Annew, first germinating signs in my seedpot   

[Ezeiza]

Under our long (very long) summers the plants suffer a lot and must be given afternoon shade. Besides being tender as previous comments have mentioned, be careful not to give them really hot conditions.

[annew]

Glad to hear it! Good luck to everyone else.

[Ezeiza]

Question for Anne and Lesley

Have you tried using pollen of your fertile Cosmos plants on the sterile commercial clone? It would be important to obtain a mix of genes to help preserve this otherwise extremely rare species.

[mark smyth]

I'll take a baby