Plant guide
Garden cosmos
Cosmos bipinnatus
Garden cosmos is considered non-toxic to cats. Its airy foliage and summer flowers can bring color to a cat-conscious garden.
Non-toxic does not mean edible. Eating plant material can still upset your cat’s stomach.
What this guide covers: Cosmos bipinnatus only. Check the botanical name; a photograph alone cannot establish identity.
Photo:
Photo details
Cosmos bipinnatus — Form in garden
By Hope Duckworth
License: CC BY 4.0
Resized and converted to WebP for display; botanical details unchanged.
Plant shopping
Explore this plant
Photo:
Photo details
Cosmos bipinnatus — Form in garden
By Hope Duckworth
License: CC BY 4.0
Resized and converted to WebP for display; botanical details unchanged.
Cosmos seeds
View on Amazon — cosmos seeds; paid link; opens in a new tabPaid link · Opens in a new tab
Non-toxic does not mean edible. Chewing plants can still upset your cat’s stomach.
A little paw-note: We may earn a commission when you buy through these links. This helps us keep building and helps Nico & Larry sustain their lavish kitty lifestyle.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Look for Cosmos bipinnatus and check the selected variety. Listings and availability can change.
Plant identity
- Scientific name
- Cosmos bipinnatus
- Scope
- Species
- Family
- Not recorded
- Also known as
- No reviewed aliases available
Find the right spot
How to grow this plant
Cosmos bipinnatus only. Check the botanical name; a photograph alone cannot establish identity.
- Light
- Sunny position
At least half a day of direct sun.
- Watering
Keep newly seeded soil moist; established plants need freely draining conditions.
- Temperature
- Temperature range not yet established
Sow outside after frost danger passes and the soil warms; germination advice is not an indoor temperature range.
- Humidity
No specific humidity target established.
- Potting
- Loose, well-drained soil.
- Through the year
- Deadhead for more blooms and support tall stems in windy locations. Plants can self-seed.
Growing-guide sources
- Cosmos bipinnatus ↗NC State Extension · Accessed 2026-10-16
Cosmos bipinnatus only. Check the botanical name; a photograph alone cannot establish identity.
Growing advice reviewed 2026-10-16. Plant safety is assessed separately.
Reviewed safety information
- Toxic principle
- Not recorded in the reviewed evidence
- Reported signs
- Not recorded in the reviewed evidence
Missing information is unknown. It should not be interpreted as an absence of risk.
Safe alternatives
No verified alternative recommendations are available for this guide.
Sources & review
- Garden cosmos: source assessment ↗Veterinary Poisons Information Service · Accessed
Listed by the source as Cosmos species. VPIS includes Cosmos species; NC State establishes Cosmos bipinnatus as the species covered here. This is genus-to-species narrowing, not an assessment of unrelated flowers.
- Cosmos bipinnatus ↗NC State Extension · Accessed 2026-10-16
- Garden cosmos: source assessment ↗Veterinary Poisons Information Service · Accessed 2026-10-16
Safety last reviewed .