Friday, February 01, 2008

Celosia cristata - Cockscomb flower

You will see them in the nurseries and market places, these velvety-looking flowers of a colour that brings good luck and prosperity and makes the house look positively radiant during Chinese New Year.

For sale at a market. There is also a yellow variety in the background.
The first time I saw yellow celosia cristata flowers was at the Sentosa Flower Show in 2006 during Chinese New Year.

The owners of this house nurtured this plant over the past few weeks so that the flowers will be on time for Chinese New Year. My uncle grew these plants in his front yard in Malacca. He had a way to ensure that his plants grow healthily and supply him with bountiful blooms all year round, these not being the exception but the norm.
If this flower could be eaten, it would be left alone because it is better left as a feast for the eyes.

Family: Amaranthaceae

Common name: Cockscomb

Origin: East Indies

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