Sweet, Loretta! Lovely form. That's a cupcake?

Closest I've come to it. I tried last year and only one kind of looked like one.

Are you cross-breeding? Is this an original?

Nevermind, found it online. Cool. I'm looking at these seeds: https://parkseed.com/cosmos-ap...

That is from the seed pack. There are more buds on the plant so we will see.

Hi Loretta,

Someone should cross the Cupcakes with the SeaShells. Cosmos have a promising diversity in flower form. Like I said, if I weren't already breeding zinnias, I would very most likely be breeding Cosmos. I think someone has already succeeded in crossing the Pink tribe with the Yellow tribe. And Cosmos already have good Whites and dark Purples, so I think with a bunch more cross pollinations, they could be very competitive with zinnias. And they could totally best zinnias in the plant department. I have seen Cosmos well over 8 feet tall. I am making some progress with zinnia plant habit, toward getting narrower pointed leaves. And also getting plants with a plan of 3 or even a plan of 4 instead of the natural branching in pairs plan of 2.

I am making some cross pollinations between plan-of-3 (threesies) zinnias at this time. But I totally don't think I will be able to compete with Cosmos for tallness of plants. And Cosmos leaves are already nice looking.

ZM

Zoe, my seeds came from Summer Hill. The pack before that came from somewhere else and had only one bloom like the cupcake form. I don't want to say yet who that was since I am giving that one a second try but it wasn't Park Seeds.

Interesting ZM. How is the third leaf effecting the overall texture of the plant? I would think it would make the upright plant fuller and more attractive. Cosmos may have better foliage than zinnias but zinnias have a much more interesting center and usually better substance.
I wonder what you think would happen between a cross of cupcake and seashell? They seem to work against each other.

Hi Loretta,

" How is the third leaf effecting the overall texture of the plant? "

I think the plan of three makes a nicer looking plant, especially when three branches are produced at a node instead of just two. And narrower sharp pointed leaves give the plant a non-zinnia look.

" I wonder what you think would happen between a cross of cupcake and seashell? "

Well, both of those Cosmos flower forms are interesting in their own right, and a cross would very likely produce at least one new Cosmos flower form. And crossing those with "regular" Cosmos could cause even more new bloom forms. And then back-crossing those forms to the original Cupcake and/or Seashell forms could create some more new stuff. Take, for example, these two breeder zinnias of mine.

There is no way that you could cross any of the current commercial zinnias to produce either of those. I have other unique zinnia flower forms, representing different rearrangements of genes. If you look at the original little wildflower (Zinnia violacea) from which most of our zinnias were derived, what breeders have done in the last two or three hundred years with zinnias is amazing. And I think the Cupcake and Seashell Cosmos are pretty amazing. I would really like to get a Seashell zinnia.

ZM

Like the Zinderella series, I am not sure the cupcake cosmos are stable. My first attempt says no. This last one I posted from my second attempt isn't exactly the same as the photos either but I am at least happy with it but I guess it only takes that one interesting flower to go to seed.
@Dianed123 how is it going? Did you try to thin out the cosmos? Did you get any buds forming?

Here is someone who planted densely at the community garden. They are just starting to bloom. Others have done it in the past.

LorettaNJ said:

• Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus 'Cupcakes Mix')
• Uploaded by LorettaNJ

• Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus 'Cupcakes Mix')
• Uploaded by LorettaNJ

I just saw your post, and WOW! That's a beautiful flower!
How do they all look now? Would love to see a shot of the whole plant.

@lorettanj
Thanks for asking! I did get some buds, and the others def shot up. I did thin them, but really not enough. I figure it's so late in the game now whatever it is, it is. Next year I'll definitely learn my lesson!
How close is the closest to plant cosmos together?

I'm waiting for more flowers though, I really had in mind a lot more than this. I wanted a bushy flower border to block the view and enjoy looking at a ton of flowers all day.

These pic were last week, more flowers are out there, I'll get an updated pic tomorrow. There's a bunch a buds coming up and I can't wait for them to open.

For next years planting, do you suggest adding compost into the soil this fall?

As far as how close, I guess that depends on which one you grow and how big they get, how much they branch. I would go with whatever the seed pack says more or less. Some cosmos are wispy and some are like sunflowers.
Here is the first cupcake flower from another company. I grew some of these out last year and so did a friend. Last year the results were not good but I thought maybe I stressed it. It looks like it tried to be a cupcake at least.

Another White Cupcake bloomed. This one came true. Finally. It's facing out sideways.

Nice flower
From the photos it looks like a single petal
are they small and overlapped?

No one petal.

That is impressive

It's the only one in a pack of seeing so far though. Most of them were ragged. And I'm not sure I'll be able to get this one to see before the frost comes. I'll have to use ZenMan's method of using green seeds in the fridge maybe.

@lorettaNJ
Such a beautiful flower!
Following up here some some of mine. Mine got such a late start that now with first frost, they are deciding to bloom.

I have been bringing the flowers inside
we had two 32 degree nights
did not do too much damage on the plants , hoping to collect a few more seeds

Well Dianed123, those are perfect. We are still in for some warm weather so hopefully you will get some more into November.
Cinda, that is a great idea. I love the bouquets, especially that second shot. Great lighting.
I will have to check on mine. There was another plant just opening.