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Originally from Mexico, the Cosmos bipinnatus is one of several plants under the tropical American genus Cosmos of the family Asteraceae (aster family) which is in turn classified in the division Magnoliophyta. It is a beautiful annual, 4 – 6’ high, with feathery foliage  and  blooms best in warm dry locations. 

Interestingly, this flower re-seeds easily despite being an annual. They look best in massed groupings and towards the back of a garden as they tend to be tall. Some cosmos have been known to exceed four feet! This flower comes in colours ranging from pink, rose red, lavender to white.

In 1988 the Cosmos flower became the adopted flower of the Japan Small Kindness Movement. The Movement soon launched an All-Japan Cosmos Flower Campaign encouraging neighbourhoods, workplaces and schools to get together to grow these beautiful flowers in the name of kindness.  This campaign runs together with the "Clean Up Japan" programme with the aim of making "the environment and people's hearts beautiful". Every year, a total of 3 million individuals participate in these activities. As described in a Small Kindness Movement report, through annual cleaning and cosmos planting programs, we have been able to boost communication among many people and to foster volunteerism."

In the last World Kindness Movement (WKM) Conference in Tokyo, the Japan Small Kindness Movement proposed that the Cosmos flower be adopted by the WKM as well. The flower was adopted as the official WKM flower at the 3^rd WKM Conference in Singapore, 17-18 November 2000.

References

"Historic Annuals," [article on-line]. The Cottage Gardener. Accessed on 28 September 2000. Available from http://www.cottagegardener.com/ ;Internet. 

"2000 See Catalogues," [article on-line]. Nestlebrae Exotics. Accessed on 28 September 2000. Available from http://www.helensville.co.nz/catalogue.htm ; Internet. 

"Main activities," [article on-line]. The Small Kindness Movement of Japan. Accessed on 28 September http://www.kindness.jp ; Internet.