About
Amaranthus caudatus is a robust annual or biennial characterized by its upright growth habit and broad, oval leaves. In the summer and autumn, it produces elongated, pendant clusters of small flowers that resemble crimson tassels.
About the genus
Amaranthus comprises annuals that can grow upright or spread out, as well as short-lived perennials. The plants feature simple leaves and produce small flowers organized in dense, catkin-like clusters that may be erect or drooping, typically blooming during the summer and autumn seasons.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained, Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H2
Plant details
- Plant type
- Annual Biennial, Bedding
- Habit
- Bushy
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 1-1.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.5-1 metres
- Time to full height
- 1-2 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden, Prairie planting, Wildlife gardens
- Native to
- Ecuador to NW Argentina
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in moist, fertile, humus-rich soil in full sun, in a sheltered site. Will tolerate poor soil, but then requires watering freely during dry periods in summer. Large enough to make an architectural feature, the flowers can be used for fresh or dried arrangements and birds love the seedheads
- Pruning
- Cut back after flowering
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed sown in-situ in mid-spring, thin to 60cm apart
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to aphids
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to a virus