Common Name: Crested Flower Tree

Other Names: Flower Millet, Head Millet, Chicken Comb.

Scientific Name: Celosia cristata

Family: Aramanthaceae (Amaranth Family)

Origin: The plant has not been identified in the wild, but it is widely grown in China.

Characteristics of the Crested Flower Tree

It is a shrub that grows to an average height of 40-70 cm. The plant is named Crested Flower Tree because its flowers resemble a chicken’s comb. The leaves are usually green but can also be red or bronze in some varieties. They are long, ovate, lance-shaped, and grow to be 5-12 cm long.

The crested flowers come in a variety of colors, including red, pink, purple, and orange. Some flowers grow in bunches to form an eye-catching ball, while others grow as single flowers on each branch. The flowers bloom all year round, but they are most vibrant from late winter to spring. Their colorful blossoms are sure to brighten up any home. The fruit is ovoid and spherical in shape, containing 8-10 shiny black seeds. The Crested Flower Tree is often grown for ornamental purposes.

This plant thrives in hot and humid climates with plenty of light. It does not tolerate cold temperatures well and should be kept away from standing water.

Red Cockroach Flower

Green Cockroach Flower

Classification of Crested Flowers

In nature, cockatoo plants have the following types: white crested cockles (wild crested flowers), yellow crested cockles, red crested cockles, red phoenix tail crests…

The two most popular types of crested flowers in Vietnam are red crested flowers and white crested flowers .

Celosia argentea is a flowering plant belonging to the Amaranth family. This is a soft-bodied annual plant commonly grown in gardens. Flowers bloom in mid-spring to summer. It is propagated by seeds. The seeds are incredibly small, up to 43,000 seeds per ounce. The leaves and flowers are edible and are grown as edible vegetables in Africa and Southeast Asia.

White crested plant is a grass that grows all year round, the stem grows straight, smooth, bearing many branches, 0.3-1m high, can be up to 2m. The leaves grow alternately, lanceolate, whole, pointed at the tip, the base of the leaves is also slightly pointed, 8-10cm long, 2-4cm wide.

Red crested cockatoo has the scientific name of Celosia cristata L., Amaranthaceae family or red crested cockle, also known as Red Cockroach, Flowered Millet, First Millet, and Red Crested Cockatoo.

Red crested plant is a perennial grass, stiff stem, with smooth branches, pedunculated leaves, ovate leaf blade, pointed leaf tip. Flowers red, yellow or white, very short stalks, almost sessile, jar-shaped with wrinkled flared edges. The fruit is ovoid or globose containing 8-10 shiny black seeds. Trees are planted everywhere for ornamental purposes.

Applications of the Cockroach tree

The crested flower is a species of flowering plant that is often grown in pots, flowerbeds or decorative borders for gardens and parks. Crested flowers are also known as ornamental flowers and are loved by many people. The crested plant is grown in pots to decorate the house during Tet as well as other days of the year.

In food:

In Mexico, it is common for people to cultivate crested cockles as a vegetable and use the seeds as a cereal. By mixing these grains with a sugar solution, a dish that is familiar to Mexican cuisine can be created.

In Nepal, chicken crested seeds are processed into a porridge known as sattoo.

In Peru and Ecuador, crested seeds are used as an ingredient in the fermentation process to create Chicha beer.

Medicinal Uses:

Additionally, the plant has medicinal properties. The seeds and flowers of the plant are known to have hemostatic and dysentery effects.

The people of Ecuador believe that boiling and mixing the seeds with rum can help regulate the menstrual cycle and purify the blood.

Meaning of Cockroach tree

Although the crested flower does not possess a luxurious and aristocratic beauty, it has a gentle, equally salty and deep look.

The crested flower is considered a symbol of sacrifice, a noble heart and also a symbol for those he uses, ready to sacrifice for others.

According to feng shui, displaying the crested flowers in the house will help bring you luck, money and peace. Therefore, every New Year to spring, the family often races to buy pots of crimson crested flowers to pray for peace and a good start.

How to plant and care for the Cockroach tree

– How to plant:

Crested flowers can be planted year-round, but they prefer cooler temperatures, making the winter-spring crop the ideal time to bloom.

When the plant reaches a height of about 6-7 cm, transfer it from the nursery bed to a pot. Choose healthy young trees with stout leaves, no pests, and no scars. They form in the shape of a box that gradually opens with black or red-brown eyebrows.

Chicken crested flowers are not particular about soil, but light, porous, nutritious soils are most suitable. The pH of the soil should be between 6 and 6.5.

Prepare the soil according to the following formula: 2 parts sandy soil + 1 part composted manure + 2 parts rice husk ash + 1/2 part coir. Use about 700 grams of the soil mixture per pot. Dig a small hole and move the sapling to the location of the hole, backfilling with soil. After planting, water the young plants and leave them in a shady, airy place while they take root.

To care for the flowers, water them twice a day in the early morning and late afternoon. Once the plant begins to take root and leaves, fertilize it once a week by diluting the fertilizer and watering the plant. After one month, press some extra branches and tops to focus on nurturing flower buds once the tree has grown strong.

Flower roots grow horizontally, so avoid digging around them to avoid breaking the roots. Only weedaound them.

When the plant has many buds, prune the weak buds and keep only the main flower buds. This will allow the plant to flower big and beautiful.