Cockscomb is heat loving, drought resistance plant and it is planted during the warm season. Cockscomb can be grown easily from seed. The plant is of tropical origin, but can also be grown in summer months in colder climates. It is an annual, living for only about one fourth of a year. A soil temperature of about 60 °F (16 °C) is ideal for growth. The plant likes well-drained soils rich in organic matter and prefers full or partial sun.

Seeds can be sown indoors from March to May; then seedlings should be transplanted into the garden sometime during May to June. It is necessary to water the cockscomb plants copiously during the summer, and they will bloom until frost.