SeedBattle
Search
Menu

Side by side

Compare seeds

Pick two or three seeds to see how they grow, side by side: sprouting, spacing, sun, water, frost and pet safety in one table.

Comparing Cosmos vs. Blanket Flower vs. Ageratum

The comparison

Cosmos vs. Blanket Flower vs. Ageratum

Units
Growing facts for Cosmos, Blanket Flower and Ageratum, side by side
Fact
CosmosCosmos bipinnatus
Blanket FlowerGaillardia × grandiflora
AgeratumAgeratum houstonianum
DifficultyEasyEasyEasy
Life cycleAnnualPerennialAnnual
Germination time7–21 daysNot yet verified7–21 days
Germination temperatureNot yet verifiedNot yet verified24–27 °C75–81 °F
Sowing depth3 mm⅛ inNot yet verifiedOn the surface
SunFull sunFull sunFull sun, partial shade
WaterNot yet verifiedLowModerate
ContainersYesYesYes
Frost toleranceNot yet verifiedNot yet verifiedTender (no frost)
Links
How to grow cosmosRemove cosmos
How to grow blanket flowerRemove blanket flower
How to grow ageratumRemove ageratum

Up close

Meet the seeds

What each one is, in a few lines, with the full growing guide one click away.

  • Field of pink, white and crimson Cosmos bipinnatus flowers growing densely in a garden bedFlowers

    Cosmos

    Cosmos bipinnatus

    Difficulty: EasyGrows in pots

    A tall, easy annual with daisy-like flowers for borders and cutting. Sow it in warm soil after the last frost, in full sun, and skip the fertilizer.

    How to grow cosmos
  • Blanket flowers with orange and yellow petals blooming among green foliageFlowers

    Blanket Flower

    Gaillardia × grandiflora

    Difficulty: EasyGrows in pots

    Blanket flower is a long-blooming perennial with daisy-like red, orange and yellow flowers. It grows best in full sun and well-drained soil, and it is fairly easy to start from seed.

    How to grow blanket flower
  • Ageratum fluffy lavender flower clusters on green stems with broad leavesFlowers

    Ageratum

    Ageratum houstonianum

    Difficulty: EasyGrows in pots

    Ageratum is a frost-tender annual with fluffy blue, pink or white flower clusters that is usually started from seed indoors about 8 to 10 weeks before the last spring frost.

    How to grow ageratum

Keep comparing

Try another matchup

Add a third seed, or swap one for a close relative from the same category.

The table, row by row

How to read a comparison

Every row is a fact from each seed's own profile, lined up so the differences stand out.

  1. Sprouting

    Germination time and temperature

    How many days the seeds take to sprout, and the temperature range they sprout in.

  2. Sowing

    Sowing depth and spacing

    How deep to sow each seed and how far apart the plants should grow. “On the surface” means the seed isn't covered.

  3. Timing

    Days to maturity and life cycle

    How long until the plant is ready, counted from sowing or from transplanting (each value says which). Annuals live one year, biennials two, perennials longer.

  4. Light and water

    Sun and water

    Full sun means 6 or more hours of direct sun a day, partial shade a few hours. Water needs are rated low, moderate or high.

  5. Space and weather

    Containers, frost tolerance and soil pH

    Whether it grows in a pot, with the smallest pot when it's known. Frost tolerance runs from tender (no frost) to hardy. Soil pH 7 is neutral.

  6. Pets

    Toxicity to cats and dogs

    Whether the plant is toxic to cats and dogs.

Quick wins

Fastest to sprout

Days from sowing until the first shoots appear, in good conditions.

Pet friendly

Safe around cats and dogs

Listed as non-toxic to both cats and dogs. Each seed's page has the details.

Not safe for pets: borage, buckwheat, caraway, carnation and 14 more.

Comparing

Questions about comparing

How many seeds can I compare?
Two or three at a time. Pick them in the boxes at the top, or start from any seed's page with “Compare with another seed”.
Can I share a comparison?
Yes. Every comparison has its own address, like /compare-seeds/?seeds=cosmos,blanket-flower, so you can copy the link from your browser and send it.
Where do the facts come from?
From each seed's profile. Every fact there is researched and reviewed by our editors before it goes live.
Can I see metric or imperial units?
Both. The table picks the units that match your browser's language, and the switch above it changes them. Your choice is remembered in this browser.
Do I need an account?
No. Comparing seeds, like every page on SeedBattle, is free and needs no account.

Found your seed?

Each seed's page explains how to grow it from seed, with facts researched and reviewed by our editors.

Browse seedsSearch seeds