About
Amaranthus cruentus 'Hot Biscuits' is a vertical, frost-sensitive annual that reaches heights of up to 1.5 meters. It features broad, green leaves and produces tall clusters of coppery-orange blooms from summer through autumn.
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, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H2
Plant details
- Plant type
- Annual Biennial, Bedding
- Habit
- Bushy, Columnar upright
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 1-1.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 1 year
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Direct sow seed outside, thinning seedlings to about 40cm apart, or sow seed under glass in pots or trays. Grow in moderately fertile, humus-rich soil in full sun in a sheltered site. Plants may need staking in exposed sites
- Pruning
- No pruning required. Pinch out or prune the tip of the main stem when young, to encourage branching
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to aphids
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to a virus