Cosmos Bipinnatus ‘Candy Stripe’ Care Tips

Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Candy Stripe’ is a low-maintenance annual with large, single white flowers that are striped with dark pink edges. It is a popular plant in English cottage gardens.

This plant has a long blooming season, flowering from early summer into fall. It’s great for cut flowers and looks nice in container gardens, too.

Keep reading to learn how to grow and care for candy stripe cosmos.

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Cosmos candy stripe overview

• Common name – Cosmos candy stripe, Mexican aster candy stripe
• Botanical name – Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Candy Stripe’
• Family – Compositae
• Plant type – Annual
• Sunlight needs – Full sun
• Soil requirements – Adapts to many soil types, from sandy to clay
• Water needs – Moderate when young, but drought-tolerant when established
• Soil pH – Neutral to slightly alkaline
• Bloom time – Mid-summer to late fall
• Flower color – Pink and white striped with dark pink margins
• Mature size – 3 to 5 feet (90-150 cm) tall and 12 to 24 inches (30-60 cm) wide
• Attracts – Butterflies and bees
• Native area – Mexico and the Southwest US, particularly Arizona

Care tips for Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Candy Stripe’

Growing candy stripe cosmos is easy if you keep these things in mind:

Planting

• Plant cosmos candy stripe seeds outdoors after your last frost.
• The seeds can also be started indoors 4-6 weeks before transplanting the seedlings outside.
• When the seedlings are 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) tall, thin them to 12 – 18 inches (30-45 cm.

Because of their mature height (3 to 5 feet / 90-150 cm), they do well planted along a fence line behind other annuals and perennials.

Soil needs

• Candy stripe cosmos will tolerate a wide range of soil types and conditions, including sandy and clay soils.
• Avoid overly rich soil since this can encourage foliage growth at the expense of blooms.

Sunlight needs

• Choose a location that gets full sun – 6-8 hours of sunlight a day is needed.
• This annual benefits from afternoon shade in the hottest conditions.

Watering needs

• Water well until the plant is established.
• Watering once a week is normally sufficient.
• Mature plants are relatively drought-tolerant.

Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Candy Stripe’ flowers

The flowers of cosmos candy stripe are large with petals ranging from pink to white, with bright crimson margins and yellow centers.

This tall, striking cosmos variety is great for cut flowers and attracting beneficial insects such as bees and butterflies.

Cosmos candy stripe will flower from mid-summer until frost. They self-seed readily.

Deadheading spent blooms will encourage the plant to produce more flowers.

With the right care, candy stripe cosmos will reward you with cheerful blooms all season long.

Where to purchase cosmos candy stripe seeds

If you would like to add this pretty annual to your garden this year, you can purchase seeds to grow it here:

• Purchase seeds on Etsy.
• American Meadows has seeds for sale.
• Get heirloom seeds for candy stripe cosmos on Amazon.

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If you enjoyed learning about Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Candy Stripe’, why not share these growing tips with a friend? Here is a post to get you started:

🌸❤️🤍 Add a pop of color to your garden with candy stripe cosmos! This easy-to-grow annual is pollinator-friendly and stunning in any flower bed. Head to The Gardening Cook to learn how to care for this cheerful flower.🌿✨#GardenTips… Share on X

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Admin note: This article for growing cosmos candy stripe first appeared on the blog in March 2013. This post has been updated to add all new photos, a video featuring other garden flowers, and more Candy stripe cosmos care tips.