Cosmos sulphureus is also known as sulfur cosmos and yellow cosmos. It is native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America, and naturalized in other parts of North and South America as well as in Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Plant Cosmos sulphureus flowers, better known as golden cosmos, in your garden's sunniest spots for a spring-to-fall stream of nectar-feasting butterflies. This Mexican-desert native stands as high as 7 feet in its natural habitat. It now grows as an annual across the United States. Its yellow-eyed, golden- or clear-yellow cupped daisies crown branching stems of green, fernlike leaves. Hybridization of the plant has produced several smaller - but equally heat-tolerant - cultivars. They bloom in an array of yellows, oranges and reds for a festive display. Even first-time gardeners can successfully grow golden cosmos from seed.