Celosia argentea var. cristata ‘Hayefield Variegata’ (Twice-Variegated Cockscomb) [15 Seeds]

Description When I first saw a reference to a “variegated” cockscomb (Celosia argentea var. cristata ‘Variegata’), I immediately assumed that the foliage was variegated. And it is, to a extent: the 3-foot plants are primarily green, but on most of them, there’s a variable amount of red streaking up along the stems, into the leaves, and eventually into the velvety, crinkled flowerheads. The parts of the stems that are green develop into yellow, while the red parts of the stem develop into a sort of magenta-pink, making many of the heads bicolor (so ‘Variegata’). That’s gaudy enough, but a few years ago, I was excited to find one seedling that had more typical leaf variegation: usually white but sometimes pink if the leaf emerges from a reddish part of a stem. Each year, I’ve collected seeds only from the best-marked stems; still, this sort of variegation can be unpredictable, so there’s no guarantee that the offspring will show the same trait, though you should get at least a few variegates in each packet. You can check out my July and August 2024 blog posts for photos of ‘Hayefield Variegata’ if you want proof that I have been getting variegated seedlings from the same seed I’m selling. I include extra seeds in each packet to increase your odds of success. But if you sow the entire packet in 2026 and do not get any variegated seedlings, please do get in touch with me. Because of the challenges inherent in maintaining this strain, I recommend ‘Hayefield Variegata’ only for collectors who appreciate uncommon variegates and understand the vagaries of propagating them from seed. Full sun. Annual. Collected in September 2025. At least 15 seeds. Shipping to U.S. addresses only. Please read the germination information as well before ordering.