pic is far away ... but that doesnt look like any cosmo i ever grew .... closer please

what is your seed source???

how much full sun do they get ... lack of proper flowering can often be from lack of enough sun ... but its usually not complete lack ... just reduced...

any heavy fert'g

ken

That looks like Cosmos sulphureus. It can grow up to 7 feet and take 50 to 60 days for it to flower. It a half hardy perennial and it is considered an invasive species in the USA. I think you bought the wrong Cosmos seed if you wanted the one with feathery foliage and shorter height.

The seeds were from burpee. It was a packet of Bright Lights. I buy them every year and I always get some that grow like this. If you see below it is the regular bright lights cosmos, short with orange flowers. I also have them in a different spot and the same thing. Some normal but most are like this. I guess the seed packets contain wrong seeds in them. This is in full sun. The picture here was taken in the early morning so there was still some shade there. I did not fertilize at all.

bright lights is a hybrid sulphureus. Apparently it is not a stable hybrid because others have had this problem too with bright lights. I think I'd find another plant to give you the color you want

This same question comes up every year. I had the same thing happen with the pink and white varieties when I saved my own seed. Tall, lush plants that took forever to set buds.