Cosmos bipinnatus Mexican Aster

A tall annual commonly grown in gardens, usually half-hardy and sometimes found on waste ground as a garden escape or derived from birdseed, particularly in southern Britain. It doesn't usually persist for long, but some populations on refuse tips have survived for several years. It is native to Mexico and the south-western regions of the USA. It has been grown in Britain as a garden plant for over 200 years and it was first recorded wild in 1930. There are many cultivars, some quite dwarf, with large, white or pinkish-purple ray florets and yellow disc florets.

Neophyte