Celosia 'Madras Scarlet'
Trial: Annual
Years Trialed: 2001
Good Qualities:
Rich color (8); Tight fluted, more than one flower per stem - one large and many mini blooms; Uniform, stiff stems, very showy, secondaries grow up over primary, leaf margins reflect flower color, no disease or insect problems, side buds on each secondary branch; Excellent variety; One of the most beautiful red celosias available, large heads; Beautiful form; Good bouquet filler.
Problems:
Short stems (5); None (2); Not sure about the side florets - an asset?? B as plants matured, the stems were weak/could not support the heavy flower; The heads tend to fall apart; Only produced 1 large flower on short stem; Didn't have much branching for side stems; Problems with lodging, quite disappointing; Plants took too long to bloom (zone 6).
Trial Data
| Yield (stems/plant) | Stem Length (inches) | Market Appreciation Rating - Wholesale (1) | Market Appreciation Rating - Retail (1) | Market Appreciation Rating - Consumer (1) | Repeat Again Rating (2) | Ease of Cultivation Rating (2) | Average Spacing (in2) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | 3.4 | 17.6 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 145 |
| Range of Responses | 0-12 | 4-30 | 1-5 | 3-5 | 2-5 | 1-5 | 2-5 | 36-432 |
(1) 1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.
Supplier
Kieft Seeds
P.O. Box 618
Conway, WA 98238
Comments:
We grow a lot of celosia - This one is the first true red/scarlet, the plants are a little short compared with other varieties; Plants eventually succumbed to caterpillars; Similar to several other large headed cutting Celosia cristasas - Kurume series, Chief series, Temple Belle series; Quality not as good as 'Bombay'.