Amaranth

Grow something a little different this year and try amaranth. It will likely grow taller than you and produce stunning, large reddish to gold flowers. It's almost worth growing just for the flowers alone.

Vegetable amaranth produces coleuslike green leaves overlaid with burgundy patches. Use the tender young leaves in salads and stir-fries as you would to spinach. The leaves have a nutty, tangy flavor so are best mixed with other greens. The seeds are a favorite of nutrition-conscious cooks, especially vegetarians, who like its high protein and fiber content. The seeds, which are produced in abundance, can be used as a cereal, ground into flour, popped, toasted, or cooked with other grains.

Light:

Sun

Plant Type:

Vegetable

Plant Height:

1-6 feet tall

Plant Width:

1-3 feet wide

Special Features:

Attractive Foliage,Cut Flowers,Drought Tolerant,Easy to Grow

Top Varieties

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'Red Calaloo' amaranth

is grown primarily for its colorful and tasty leaves.
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'Wario' amaranth

features burgundy blooms atop 5-foot-tall plants. Seeds can be ground into nutritious flour.
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Harvest Tips

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Harvest leaves 30-50 days after seeding. Remove individual leaves as needed, or cut the entire plant back to 8 inches from the ground to encourage tender new growth to develop. Harvest seeds for grain 100-110 days after seeding. Bend mature seed heads over a large bowl or bucket, and shake them to catch the many tiny black seeds. You can get a head start on the season by starting seedlings indoors four weeks before the last frost.

Propagation

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Seed