If there is a more colorful celosia, it’s hard to imagine how China Town has won Europe’s top honor for seedsthe Fleuroselect Quality Markand now it’s set to conquer America.

These brilliant red blooms on matching red stems atop dark, deep purple leaves are so neon-bright they look freshly painted, yet they last from early summer into autumn on plants that are quite easy to grow. Great for the vase but also indescribably eye-catching in garden and container, China Town is an annual you’ll want everywhere.

The seeds sprout in spring quite plain, with green leaves and nothing much to say for themselves. But as the warm weather of summer arrives and the buds begin to set, many things happen at once. The green vanishes in favor of a rich smoldering purple hue. The flowering stems turn red. And the buds burst into brilliant Chinese-lacquer red.

Although China Town only reaches 14 to 16 inches high and 8 inches wide, even a small