Fizzy Rose Picotee Cosmos Plants

• Variety: Cosmos bipinnatus 'Fizzy Rose Picotee'
• Common name: Cosmos / Cosmea / Mexican Aster
• Type: Half-hardy annual
• Flower form: Semi-double
• Colour: White to mauve with deep rose-red picotee edge
• Height: 70–100 cm (28–39 in)
• Flowering period: June–October
• Position: Full sun (minimum 6 hours)
• Soil: Well-drained, ordinary to poor fertility
• Spacing: 30 cm (12 in)
• Good for cutting: Yes – excellent
• Container suitable: Yes, with support in a large pot
• Sold as: Jumbo plug seedlings, hand-sown by us
• Plant outdoors: After last frost (mid-May in most areas)
• Delivered: Late April to May by next-day courier. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Fizzy Rose Picotee – The Cosmos That Won Our Hearts

Fizzy Rose Picotee won over almost everyone at Ashridge, and we had to include it in our range. It is hard to describe and do it full justice. The flowers are variable in two respects. Some are single, others semi-double, and we have even caught it producing fully double blooms on the same plant. The colouring is just as unpredictable: some flowers are clearly white with dark lilac-pink edged petals, while others are almost completely lilac-pink with a little bit of white. The picotee markings, the darker edges that give the variety its name, are the one constant. And it makes me smile every time I see it.

Cosmos petals respond to temperature. The colours tend to appear lighter in cool weather and deepen to stronger pinks in warmth, so the same plant can look quite different in a cool June versus a hot August. With a variety as variable as Fizzy Rose Picotee, this adds another layer of unpredictability. It is a cosmos for gardeners who enjoy that sort of thing, the ones who like their borders to surprise them rather than sit still. At 70–100 cm, it reaches the middle of the height range and produces so many flowers that it needs weekly harvesting. As long as it does not run to seed, a single plant can produce well over 100 flowers in a summer.

How Fizzy Rose Picotee Fits a Planting Scheme

The variable colouring means Fizzy Rose Picotee is easier to pair than you might think, because it contains its own range of tones. Sonata White gives it a calm base to play against. Xanthos (soft lemon-yellow, compact) offers a colour contrast that lifts the pink tones without competing. Both are shorter, which creates a natural height step in a border.

For something more adventurous, plant it through a drift of perennials like Salvia nemorosa (deep blue-purple spikes) or Echinacea. The frothy semi-double cosmos flowers above the structured perennial shapes create a textural contrast that is harder to achieve with single-flowered varieties. Cosmos bipinnatus shows an extraordinary range of flower forms across its cultivars. The 'Sea Shells' variety, for example, has petals fused into elongated tubes that look like tiny cornets. Fizzy Rose Picotee sits at the semi-double end of this spectrum, and it is one of the things that makes cosmos such a versatile genus.

What Makes Ashridge Cosmos Different?

Your cosmos seedlings start life in our polytunnels in Somerset. We buy in the best seed each year and hand-sow every plug ourselves. No contract growing, no third-party nurseries. Every plant is grown on and hardened off before dispatch, so what arrives at your door is a sturdy jumbo plug ready for the garden.

We send everything by next-day courier from late April. If anything arrives damaged or fails within the guarantee period, we replace it. Ring us with a question and you speak to the gardeners in Somerset who grew the plants.

Frequently Asked Questions

How tall does Cosmos Fizzy Rose Picotee grow?

Fizzy Rose Picotee reaches 70–100 cm (28–39 in), putting it in the middle of the cosmos height range. Plants over 60 cm benefit from support put in at planting time. Pea sticks or hazel twigs work well. For full growing advice, see our cosmos growing guide.

Is Cosmos Fizzy Rose Picotee good for cutting?

Fizzy Rose Picotee is an excellent cut flower with a novelty quality that makes it popular at flower stalls and farmers' markets. The semi-double blooms have more presence in a vase than single cosmos. Cut in the morning, strip lower leaves, and expect a vase life of 7–10 days. The colour variation between flowers means every bunch is different.

What looks good planted with Cosmos Fizzy Rose Picotee?

Fizzy Rose Picotee's variable pinks pair well with clean whites (Sonata White, Sensation Purity) or soft yellows (Xanthos) within the cosmos range. Outside the family, blue-purple perennials like salvias and verbenas provide a strong colour contrast. Browse the full range in our cosmos collection.

Why do some Fizzy Rose Picotee flowers look different from others?

Variability is part of the variety's character. Flower form ranges from single through semi-double to fully double on the same plant. The colouring shifts too, partly because cosmos petals respond to temperature: warmer weather deepens the pinks, cooler weather lightens them. No two flowers are quite alike, and the overall effect changes through the summer. For a more uniform cosmos, try Sonata Pink.

Can I grow Cosmos Fizzy Rose Picotee in a pot?

Yes, though at 70–100 cm it will need a large pot (10 litres minimum) and support as it grows. Feed fortnightly with half-strength tomato fertiliser once buds appear. It produces so many flowers in a container that deadheading every few days is important. For full container advice, see our guide to growing cosmos in pots.