Question
Hi Tom,

I've had Celosia (spiked type) growing in the garden for number of years. That's strange because they are supposed to be a fragile annual not coming back on it's own yearly. However, we live in Baltimore, Maryland where the climate is moderate to cold in the winter. We let the Celosia dry up on it's own and it will produce seeds. We left it alone, and the following year, they came back !!! it's been years now and they always come back. Is this a normal phenomenon?

Answer
Hi Ron,
Thanx for your question.  Celosia are annuals so the reason they are coming back is due to the fact that they are reseeding themselves.  It is not uncommon at all for annuals and even tropical flowers to seed in a harsh climate and come back in the spring.  I have had volunteer tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, squash, castor beans, etc. come back year after year.  We have four-o'clocks here which are a perennial in Mexico but they come back year after year here because they self-see so prolifically.  I hope this helps.
Tom