I have a feeling that he/she may be referring to Celosia 'Dragon's Breath' since it has been marketed and sold widely this year.
If the bed has moist soil, Astilbe might work since being on the east side of the house would mean that it would get mostly morning sun. They will only bloom for a month or so, though.
Astilbe info:
http://garden.org/learn/articl...
