🌸🌸 The Incredible, Edible Cosmos 🌸🌸

Organic Crops Veggie Patch

I have loved these flowers for years, without knowing they were edible! 💡

Did you know these can be eaten?? They are annuals so be sure to save some seeds for next year, but they will likely re-seed themselves each year.

However useful they are, cosmos (Cosmos spp.) are not native to Ohio. They are originally native to Mexico and parts of Central and South America. Cosmos are popular in gardens across the U.S., including Ohio, because they are easy to grow, attract pollinators, and tolerate heat and poor soil.

Guess who is who, above! (Hint. Only one is NOT native to Ohio)

Here is the answer grid: which species did you get right?

More flowering plants to choose from!
(But I still love cosmos too. All are welcome!) 












































🌸 Easy Cosmos Serving Suggestions





Salad Garnish Sprinkle cosmos petals over mixed greens for color and texture. Floral Ice Cubes Freeze individual petals in ice cube trays for pretty drink coolers. Cake or Cupcake Toppers Use full flowers or petals to decorate baked goods before serving. Herbal Butter Mix chopped cosmos petals into softened butter with herbs for a floral compound butter. Petal-Infused Lemonade Float petals in lemonade or iced tea for a festive, summery look. Cream Cheese Spread Stir petals into whipped cream cheese and serve with crackers or bagels. Floral Vinegar Steep cosmos petals in white wine vinegar for 1–2 weeks, then strain for a mild floral vinegar. Garnish for Cocktails Add a petal or two on top of a cosmopolitan or gin & tonic. Pressed Flower Sandwiches Make cream cheese tea sandwiches and press petals onto the outside for a party-friendly aesthetic. Smoothie Bowl Topping Sprinkle over the top with granola and fruit for visual flair.

				


	
	

	

	
				

			

	





		
			

				🍐 Training a Baby Pear Tree
			

	
	
	

		
					
		
		
				
					
				
			
				
				
		
		
												

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Training Your Young, Skinny Pear Tree (5–7 Years Old)





✅ Training Goals





🍐 Encourage a strong central leader (if upright growth is desired). Develop 3–5 well-spaced scaffold branches (main limbs) around the trunk. Widen branch angles to about 45–60° to strengthen limbs and encourage fruit spurs.










🔧 Step-by-Step Plan





1. Choose Your Scaffold Limbs





Pick 3–5 strong, evenly spaced lateral branches starting from about 18”–24” up the trunk. Ideally, they should spiral around the trunk, not all from one side.





2. Use Limb Spreaders or Weights





Gently spread selected branches outward to 45–60° angles using: Notched wooden sticks Clothespins (for small soft shoots) Soft string + small weights (rocks in mesh bags work great) Do this in early summer when the wood is flexible.










3. Prune Competing Growth





Remove or shorten any shoots: Below your lowest scaffold Competing with the central leader (if you want one) Crowding other good laterals Don’t overdo it — leave plenty of leaves for energy.





4. Support the Central Leader





If the tree is too skinny to support itself, use a stake. If it’s too tall with no side branches up high, you can head it back by 6–12 inches to encourage branching next spring.





🕒 Timing





Spread branches now (June), while flexible. Prune lightly mid to late June if needed. Save major shaping or height reduction for dormant season (late winter).










encounter:





🍐 Non-native pears commonly planted in Ohio:





Callery Pear (Pyrus calleryana) – including cultivars like Bradford, Cleveland Select, etc. Not native (originally from Asia) Widely planted in the past as ornamental trees Now considered invasive in Ohio and many other states. 





European Pear (Pyrus communis) – the common fruit-bearing pear Grown in orchards and gardens Also not native, but widely cultivated





🌳 Native tree lookalikes:





Sometimes people confuse native trees like Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.) or Wild Plum (Prunus americana) with pears because of similar blossoms or small fruit, but these are unrelated.





If you’re looking for native fruit trees in Ohio, consider:





    

  • Pawpaw
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  • Persimmon (Diospyros Virginiana)
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  • American Plum
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  • Black Cherry
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  • Serviceberry 
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To read more about self-pollinating pear trees 🌳 here is a list of home-growable pears.