Sensation Picotée Cosmos Plants

• Variety: Cosmos bipinnatus 'Sensation Picotee'
• Common name: Cosmos / Cosmea / Mexican Aster
• Type: Half-hardy annual
• Flower form: Single, picotee-edged
• Colour: White edged crimson-pink
• Height: 90–120 cm (36–48 in)
• Flowering period: June–October
• Position: Full sun (minimum 6 hours)
• Soil: Well-drained, ordinary to poor fertility
• Spacing: 30–35 cm (12–14 in)
• Good for cutting: Yes – excellent
• Container suitable: Large container only, with support
• Delivered as: Jumbo plug seedling. Collection from Castle Cary also available

A tall, classic cottage-garden cosmos with a twist: every white flower is brushed with a crimson-pink edge, so no two blooms look quite the same.

Sensation Picotee – White Petals With a Crimson Brush

Cosmos 'Sensation Picotee' is a tall single half-hardy annual, reaching 90 to 120 cm, with large white flowers finely edged in crimson-pink and a golden centre, in bloom from June to October. The picotee marking varies from a fine rim to a bold flush, so a group of plants gives you a whole range of patterning rather than one repeated flower. It is a member of the long-established Sensation series, bred for big, generous blooms on strong stems.

This is a back-of-the-border plant. At over a metre it brings height and movement to a bed, and it is one of the best cosmos for cutting, throwing long straight stems all summer. The open, single flowers are also a magnet for pollinators: the RHS lists cosmos among its top annuals for bees, hoverflies and butterflies, because the accessible centre suits insects that fully double flowers shut out. Grow it lean and sunny, and keep picking.

Why It Needs Support

At this height the soft, hollow stems will lean or snap in summer wind and rain, so support goes in at planting time, not later. Push hazel twigs or pea sticks in around the young plants, or stretch horizontal netting over the bed at 30 to 40 cm and let the plants grow up through it and hide it. Leave it until they are tall and you will be tying up a tangle. It is the single most undersold piece of cosmos advice, and the easiest to get right early.

Companion Planting for Sensation Picotee

The picotee markings read best against plain colours. Set it beside the solid white of Cosmos Sensation Purity or the deep crimson of Cosmos Dazzler to make the edging stand out. For contrast in texture rather than colour, weave it through ornamental grasses such as Stipa tenuissima, whose fine movement sets off the tall, airy cosmos beautifully in a naturalistic scheme.

What Makes Ashridge Cosmos Different?

We grow all our cosmos ourselves, with no contract growing and no third-party nurseries. They are hand-sown in peat-free compost from the best quality seed (we buy it rather than collect it, because named cosmos do not come true from saved seed), and every plant is hardened off before dispatch. What arrives is a sturdy jumbo plug with slow-release feed in the rootball, ready for the garden.

We send plants by next-day courier from May onwards, weather permitting, in recycled cardboard packaging designed to get them to you undamaged and ready to plant. You can reach real people on the phone in Somerset whenever you need to. We have grown and sold plants since 1949, hold the Feefo Platinum Service Award, and were voted a Which? Best Buy plant supplier.

Frequently Asked Questions

How tall does Sensation Picotee grow?

Sensation Picotee reaches 90 to 120 cm, making it a tall, back-of-border cosmos. Space plants 30 to 35 cm apart and put support in at planting time so the stems do not lean.

Does Sensation Picotee need staking or support?

Yes. At over a metre the stems are soft and snap in wind, so support is essential. Use pea sticks or horizontal netting at 30 to 40 cm, set in place when you plant, not later.

Is Sensation Picotee good for cutting?

It is one of the best. The long, straight stems and large single flowers are made for the vase, and regular cutting keeps the plant producing fresh blooms well into autumn.

What is the difference between Sensation Picotee and Fizzy Rose Picotee?

Both carry rose-crimson picotee edging, but Sensation Picotee is a tall single at 90 to 120 cm, while Fizzy Rose Picotee is a shorter, frothy semi-double.

What looks good planted with Sensation Picotee?

Plain colours show off the edging: white Sensation Purity or crimson Dazzler alongside it, or fine grasses for movement. For full planting ideas, see our how to grow cosmos guide.