Flowers sometimes look good enough to eat, especially when it comes to flowers that look like cotton candy! If you’re wondering which stunning flowers resemble cotton candy, you’re in the right place.
In this article, I will cover a wide range of flowers that look similar to cotton candy. So, when it comes to planting new flowers in your garden, you can make your own backyard look like a fairground wonderland!
Let’s get into it.
1. Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum, also known as prairie smoke, is a spring-blooming perennial wildflower that is native to North American prairies. It gets its name from the long, wispy, feather-like achenes that resemble plumes of smoke, but this stunning flower also looks like candy floss.
Prairie smoke boasts beautiful pink blooms during the spring, and during the fall, the foliage takes on purple, red, and orange hues and then turns to a darker burgundy shade once the winter rolls around.
The bloom time for prairie smoke is during the spring and throughout the summer months. Typically speaking, prairie smoke prefers full sun and is drought tolerant once established, but can also tolerate light shade.
These flowers have a moderate growth rate and will provide your garden with a splash of color reminiscent of cotton candy throughout the warmer seasons.
2. Smoke Bush
Continous, also known as the smoke tree or smoke bush, is a flowering plant that gets its name from the billowy hairs attached to the flower clusters which bloom throughout the summer season and turn pink.
When in bloom, smoke bush looks similar to cotton candy thanks to its beautiful purple-pink smokey plumes. The plant is drought-tolerant and needs to be planted in full sun. When planted in partial shade, the foliage is sparse and the blooms are not as impressive.
Smoke bush blossoms during the summer, with the flowers appearing from June to September. The flowers range in color, from cotton candy pink to smoke-pink, to yellow, and feature blue-green leaves that work beautifully to contrast and make the flowers pop.
The flowers and anthers of the smoke bush plant attract honey bees. However, due to the fact that the wispy flowers don’t contain much nectar or pollen, they don’t stick around for long.
3. Celosia
Celosia, commonly known as “wool flowers,” is an annual that grows widely across Mexico, where it is known as the velvet flower. It also grows in northern South America, Africa, the West Indies, South, East, and Southeast Asia where it is grown as a native or naturalized wildflower.
These flowers are edible ornamentals that are great for adding a pop of color to your garden and have a taste that is similar to spinach. Depending on where you plant celosia and the fertility of the soil, the blossoms can last from 8 to 10 weeks.
The blooms of celosia are somewhat silky and are reminiscent of plumed candle flames, ocean coral, or cotton candy. The flowers are available in a wide variety of colors, including purple, red, orange, white, and cotton candy pink.
The soft, feathery flowers are sure to demand the attention of any onlookers and add a touch of something special and eye-catching to your flower beds.
4. Astilbe
Astilbe is a gorgeous perennial with elegant plumes of feathery flowers that typically bloom from late spring through the summer months and are reminiscent of cotton candy.
The blooms come in various colors, from crimson to white, and pink flowers and work wonderfully to brighten borders. Their blooming season begins in spring and lasts until late autumn when they naturally change color and drop their flowers.
Astilbes thrive in a location that receives light to moderate shade, as they will burn if they are planted in full sunlight. They are well adapted to shade and waterlogged soils, which is why they are often associated with pond-side planting.
Many astilbe species give off a strong and pleasant aroma, making them a wonderful addition to your garden, especially during the height of the warm summer months.
5. Hyacinth
The hyacinth is a spring-blooming perennial with gorgeously fragrant flowers. Greek mythology states that this flower was created by the god Apollo in commemoration of his lover Hyacinthus, whom he accidentally killed.
Renowned for being highly fragrant, hyacinths are perfect for planting in displays and borders close to paths so you can appreciate their aroma. These flowers are relatively easy to grow but will require full sun or partial shade in order to thrive.
This hyacinth has a single dense spike of flowers that come in various shades, including blue, white, orange, cotton candy pink, violet, or yellow. The cluster of blooms is also somewhat reminiscent of cotton candy and typically begins to flower during March or April when they have been planted in the early autumn.
Hyacinth bulbs are poisonous, as they contain oxalic acid. Bearing this in mind, caution should be taken when you plant the bulbs into the ground, as handling them without protective gloves can cause reactions and skin irritation.
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6. Hydrangea
Hydrangeas are shrubs that produce beautiful flowers and are native to Asia and the Americas. The word “hydrangea” comes from the Greek hydro that means “water” and angeion meaning “vessel,” which references the plant’s seed pods that resemble miniature water jugs.
Typically speaking, hydrangeas prefer to grow in partial sun. In an ideal world, they will be given full sun during the morning, with some afternoon shade to protect their blooms from the hot midday sun. So, make sure that you carefully consider the location in which you plant your hydrangeas.
These elegant plants are fairly easy to grow, can tolerate almost any soil, and produce abundant blooms that look similar to cotton candy that is blue or pink. The blooms come in a variety of colors, from blue to white, lavender, and pink, occasionally all blooming from the same plant.
Shrubs like hydrangeas flower from mid to late summer. However, in hotter climates, hydrangeas have been known to stop blooming during the height of summer if it becomes too hot, re-blooming in the fall.
7. Dianthus
The dianthus is a flowering plant native mostly to Europe and Asia. When grown in large clusters, these stunning blooms produce a bed of flowers that loosey resembles pink cotton candy.
Dianthus flowers thrive and bloom the best with a minimum of six hours of full sunlight a day. That being said, they can tolerate partial shade, and bloom during spring and during the first few weeks of summer.
Dianthus flowers most commonly come in pink, salmon, red, and white hues, and work wonderfully to breathe life back into a dull flower bed.
The dianthus flowers give off a sweet and pleasant aroma which provides your garden and flower bed with a lovely aroma that will make you want to spend even more time outside!
8. Poppy ‘Candy Floss’
Papaver somniferum, also known as optimum poppy ‘candy floss’ is a hardy annual that has gorgeous large blooms.
Although these blooms are typically lavender or lilac in color, they get the name ‘candy floss’ from their unusual, double large poppy flowers that resemble a head of cotton candy.
These poppies are beautiful to plant in borders as well as flower displays to add height and interest to your garden. Although all poppies are poisonous, the seeds produced by these types of poppies can be used for adding extra flavor and a nice crunch to a variety of different dishes.
The fragrance of these flowers is soft and sweet, and they bloom typically in late May all the way through to August provided that the growing conditions are right. A poppy flower tends to last around 10 days, but plants will have a second flush when they are cut back.
9. Prunus ‘Candy Floss’
Prunus ‘candy floss,’ is the Latin name for the flowers produced by a cherry tree that is native to Japan. These flowers produce a gorgeous sweet aroma that makes them a hugely popular choice in parks as well as gardens.
Prunus ‘candy floss’ produces large, double pink flowers with attractively fringed petals that have a soft velvety texture and an appearance similar to candy floss. The tree’s densely clustered, blousy flowers resemble a stick of candy floss, hence where the flowers get the name prunus ‘candy floss.’
The majority of cherry blossoms bloom in spring, producing their flowers that usually last for several weeks. Some cherry blossoms bloom twice a year, once in April, and again from October to January. That being said, harsh weather conditions such as wind and rain can significantly reduce the blooming season.
Cherry blossoms are edible and are often used in traditional Japanese sweets and teas. You can even use them in sweet cocktail recipes.
In summary
So, there you have it! Now you have a better understanding of which flowers look like cotton candy, why don’t you set about planting some of them in your flower beds?
These stunning flowers are not only eye-catching, but they add something truly unique and special to add to your garden and flower beds.
Have fun choosing flowers that resemble cotton candy for your garden!
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