Celosia argentea
Cockscomb The cockscomb is a flower
of the dead in Oaxaca, Mexico and is a decoration for
Day of Dead celebrations together with marigold. There cockscombs
are known as Mano de Leon, Lion's Paw (probably the yellow variety),
Cresta de Gallo (cockscomb) or borla de Santa Teresa (tassel
of St. Teresa). St. Teresa, who is popular with curanderas,
is often shown wearing a hat with large tassels because
the Catholic Church awarded her a doctorate after her death.
On some of these doctoral hats, the tassel is more like a big
crimson puff and does indeed resemble a cockscomb. In India,
people planted cockscombs around their house to repel murderous
spirits. Cockscomb is considered a Saturn
plant (even with its large, gaudy flowers) because, as an herb, it is cold and dry and constricting/astringent--
all Saturn properties. A symbol of longevity on account of the
longlasting dried flowers, cockscomb has been cultivated in
European gardens since Elizabethan times, although because of
cooler summers in Europe, were often grown in greenhouses. Both
Washington and Jefferson grew it in their gardens, and in the
US in the early 1900s fairs had competitions for the largest
blooms. Victorians loved fuzzy things and bumpy textures, so
you can imagine this was one of their favorite garden flowers.
A member of the Amaranth family, cockscomb is also known as
wool flower, brain celosia, floramor, and flower gentle. Top
How to Grow
It
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Celosia argentea Cockscomb 50 seeds $3.75
Uses
in Witchcraft & Magic:
Protection from spirits Honoring the Dead Saturn
herb
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