How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Love-Lies-Bleeding Amaranth

A food source for humans and animals and known for its medicinal value, Amaranthus caudatus is a beneficial plant to grow. Known in South America as Kiwicha, the grain collected from the seeds of the plants is considered a superfood.

This ancient grain has origins as far back as the 12 century Incas. Today, it is planted for its edible and striking ornamental properties. Let’s learn all about growing love-lies-bleeding amaranth!

What Is It?

This tall-growing annual shrub is known as pendant amaranth, tassel, velvet, foxtail amaranth, quilete, and more. It is known for its tassels of flowers, in this case in vibrant red.

Amaranthus comes from the Greek word amarantos, which means ‘unfading,’ which refers to long-lasting flowers in their bright colors. Caudatus is Latin for ‘tailed’ for the apparent reason assigned to this plant. Some other types of amaranths have more upright flowers.

Native Area

Amaranthus caudatus is native to Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia but is considered an introduced species to most other continents, especially in the subtropical zones of the world.

Amaranth is used to high altitudes and will thrive in areas between 4600 – 8000 feet, which covers a wide range of heights, making it easy to grow almost anywhere.

Characteristics

One of the common names for Amaranthus caudatus is love-lies-bleeding, of which the origins are uncertain. Still, we can surmise that flowers like these were often a symbol of hopeless love, particularly prevalent in the Victorian era, and the flowing strings of red certainly fit the story.

The tall plants can grow up to 5 feet tall and have leaves in shades of green, purple, red, and yellow. It has a bushy upright growth. Gather the leaves when they are young, and cook as you would spinach or kale.

The inflorescences that form from the main stem can reach up to three feet long. The panicles contain male and female flowers, which makes it a self-pollinating plant, usually by the wind. The red color is due to a high betacyanin content, which is the red you would find in beetroot. In some countries, the red in amaranth is used as a natural die, although it’s not as effective as the synthetic alternatives.

The grain from this plant has many nutritional benefits. It includes 15-18% protein, vitamins A and B, and is high in iron, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. Amaranth is also high in fiber and gluten-free, making it a great alternative to wheat when ground into flour. Many call it a pseudo-cereal, an alternative to oats, barley, and corn. In 4-6 months, the plants are mature. Harvest the seeds for use as a grain. 

For instance, it’s a more helpful plant than quinoa because it doesn’t contain any bitter compounds like saponins, which are toxic to humans and animals and need to be eliminated by rinsing in water several times.

Planting

This plant can be grown in various hardiness zones across America, from zones 2 to 11. However, take note of the lighting requirements for zones in warmer and cooler climates. They are trouble-free to grow with the proper guidelines.

Transplanting

Growing from seedlings purchased at the nursery is one of the ways to get Amaranthus into garden beds. Prepare the soil well before planting by breaking down the ground, removing any stones and weeds, and adding plenty of compost before planting.

Space the plants 18 inches apart and grow at the same depth they came in the nursery bags or trays. Press in and water well.

Growing from Seed

Amaranthus caudatus is often grown from seed outdoors 1-2 weeks after the last average frost date. It can also be started indoors in seed trays 6-8 weeks before the last average frost date. It’s best to sow in biodegradable pots planted straight into the ground when the seedlings are big enough.

Sow in groups of 3 seeds 18-24 inches apart in rills at 1/8 inch deep. Cover with soil and water well. In 7-14 days, the little seeds will germinate. When they are 1-2 inches tall, thin out the group of three to just the one strongest seedling to continue growing.

They will freely seed themselves once established. If you prefer not to have them self-seed, cut them back before the flowers turn to seed. Collect the seeds by hanging them upside down with a brown paper bag tied over them to collect them. Then, label and date them for planting the following season.

How to Grow

Amaranthus is a plant that adapts to many different environments. It multiplies and requires very little maintenance, but if you want it to grow well, consider its ideal conditions below.

Light

In cooler climates, they prefer full sun with a minimum of six hours of sunlight daily. They like a little afternoon sun in warmer temperatures but with a minimum of two hours of direct sunlight daily.

The more sunlight they get, the more vibrant the flower colors.

Water

They prefer plenty of water but are drought-tolerant once established. They require more water in warmer climates. When they first grow, they need plenty of water to establish themselves. They will then require watering once or twice a week. Once they are mature, they only need watering in arid times.

Soil

Rich, fertile, humus-dense soil is best, with pH levels between 6-8.5. They can adapt quickly to other soil types, like sandy soil with high organic content, as long as it is well-draining.

Temperature

Love-lies-bleeding amaranth will tolerate a wide range of temperatures, even down to 30°F (-1°C), but the flowers may perish at this temperature. If you need the grain that develops from the flowers, this is a problem. Often, this wouldn’t be a problem as they flower in summer, but later on, towards autumn, they may be affected by frost.

On the high end of the scale, they can tolerate temperatures up to 95°F (35°C) but will not thrive under these conditions. They will do better under 80°F (27°C).

Humidity

It has no problem with low or high humidity. Just ensure enough airflow between plants in high humidity to discourage fungal diseases.

Fertilizing

These plants require little or no fertilizer. Ensure the soil is rich and well-draining at the planting stage for the best results. Adding too much high-nitrogen fertilizer may make them toxic, so it’s best not to feed them too often.

Maintenance

Prune away dead or dying leaves and stems, and cut back after flowering. Because they get very tall, staking may be necessary, especially in areas with high winds.

Harvesting

For this plant, we need to talk about harvesting the edible parts for use in the kitchen. They need to turn brown to harvest the seed from the flower to use as a grain. Once the tassels start to lose color, keep an eye on them, as you might have to fight the birds for the grain.

Hold a brown paper bag under each tassel and gently rub the seeds so the ripe seeds fall into the bag. Later, you can remove the chaff and store the seeds in a cool, dry place.

If you plan on using the leaves for cooking, choose fresh leaves and harvest them just before using.

Propagation

Amaranthus caudatus grows so well and quickly from seed that there is little need to propagate this plant in any other way. Sometimes, they can be invasive in the right conditions, and it is advisable to cut them back before they go to seed.

Popular Varieties

‘Coral Fountain’

A beautiful coral-pink flowering variety is available in seed form. The significant panicles droop in large clusters all summer long. They are good pollinator attractors, especially for birds that love the seed.  This substantial shrub may need staking in strong winds and heavy rain.

The flowers are perfect cut flowers and can be dried for flower arrangements.

‘Dreadlocks’

Purple-red tassels form on this variety, forming little bobbles along the stems, looking precisely like dreadlocks. This plant has giant tassels, some even up to six feet long.

This variety is suitable for collecting grain as they produce many seeds, more than ever needed for saving and planting the following year.

‘Emerald Tassels’

Just as the name suggests, this variety has long, emerald green tassels, which contrast the red types. The flowers fade to cream as they mature. These are a favorite for flower arrangers as they produce a more unusual color than other plant materials, and their cascading form is attractive in a vase.

This variety is often used as a centerpiece in a garden bed because of its height and pretty panicles.

‘Fat Spike’

More of an upright flower spike on this variety makes it unusual in a purple-red color. ‘Fat Spike’ is quite different from other Amaranthus species because of the standout blooms in summer.

The plant is reliable to make a statement or to screen the back of a flower bed. The flowers will last right through to autumn.

Common Problems

Love-lies-bleeding amaranth is easy to grow with few problems; however, be on the lookout for pests and diseases.

Pests and Diseases

Some of the most common problems include the following:

• Aphids – sucking insects that enjoy growth tips.
• Pythium – these are plant parasites that attack mainly newly germinated seeds by causing the root tips to rot and also can cause stem rot.
• Fusarium wilt is a fungus that causes foliage to turn yellow and wilt, then turn brown and die off, causing the whole plant to die.
• Sclerotinia is a fungal disease that causes stem and root rot.
• Alternaria is a pathogen that causes large brown spots on the leaves. It is also called back spot and is a common problem in food crops like brassicas.
• Diabrotica – larvae that tunnel inside the root system of plants and destroy them from the inside.
• Aster yellows is a small bacterium that causes stunted, chlorotic growth on amaranth plants, and on plants in the aster family.

Keep the fungi under control with fungicides, and control the insect pests with diatomaceous earth. Always remove damaged foliage as it crops up to prevent the spread. Those plants with advanced infections and those with aster yellows should be removed to prevent further spread to nearby plants.

Frequently Asked Questions