Amaranthus caudatus

Ornamental Type

Stunning pendants of red blooms trail from the thick main stems which reach 60-90 cm (2-3′) in height. Large, light green leaves complement the flowers, which appear in early summer and carry through to frost. Excellent for back of the border, for drying or for use as a cut flower. A very useful plant for attracting numerous butterflies and pollinators.

How to Grow

Amaranthus thrives in dry soil. Direct sow seed 6 mm (1/4″) deep outdoors in a sunny site after danger of frost has passed. For an early start, seed may be started indoors in early April. Seed germinates at 20 C (70 F) in 10-14 days. After that, grow on at a slightly cooler temperature before hardening off and transplanting to a sunny site. Take special care to ensure roots do not become crowded when growing plants for seed indoors as this slows plant development. Space plants 45-60 cm (18-24″) apart in the garden.

Annual.

Approx. 175 seeds/pkt.