About
Cultivated for its vibrant, multi-hued leaves, Amaranthus tricolor is a popular choice in gardens. The floral display is modest, and the plant tends to have a somewhat spreading growth habit.
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
- Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- West-facing, South-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H2
Plant details
- Plant type
- Annual Biennial
- Habit
- Bushy
- 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, Sub-tropical, City and courtyard gardens
Care notes
- Cultivation
- This bushy annual can be grown under glass in full light in a peat-free, loam-based potting compost, or grown in a sunny border in moderately fertile, humus-rich moist but well-drained soil once risk of frost has passed
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to aphids
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to a virus