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Amaranthus
Also called Pigweed, Pigweeds, Amaranth, Pigweed, Amaranths
Amaranthus is a genus of about 75 species, including grain amaranths, leafy vegetable amaranths and ornamental types, mostly annual or short-lived perennial herbs. Grow them in full sun and warm conditions, and cut young leaves for greens or let plants set seed for grain.
Amaranthus is a genus of plants commonly known as amaranths. Some species are known by variants of the common name "pigweed". Some members are annual and others are perennial. The plant can grow from 1 to 2.5 metres (3 to 8 feet) tall with a succulent, hollow stem. Parts of the plant vary from green to reddish. Catkin-like cymes of densely packed flowers grow in the summer or fall.
There are 75 recognized species in the genus, some monoecious and some dioecious. The name amaranth was originally applied to the closely related genus Celosia. Amaranthus is cosmopolitan in tropical regions. Some species are cultivated as leaf vegetables, pseudocereals (with amaranth grain being collected), and ornamental plants.
Amaranth grain has been found in Antofagasta de la Sierra Department, Catamarca, in the southern Puna desert of northern Argentina dating from 4,500 years ago, with evidence suggesting earlier use. Archeological digs unearthed A. cruentus seeds in a cave in Tehuacán, Mexico that dated to 6,000 years before present, while other digs in the same caves found A. hypochondriacus seeds dating to 1,500 years before present. Ancient amaranth grains still used include A. caudatus, A. cruentus, and A. hypochondriacus. Evidence from single-nucleotide polymorphisms and chromosome structure supports A. hypochondriacus as the common ancestor of the three grain species.
In pre-Hispanic times, amaranth was cultivated by the Aztec and their tributary communities in a quantity very similar to maize. Known to the Aztecs as huāuhtli, amaranth is thought to have represented up to 80% of their energy consumption before the Spanish conquest.
Amaranth grain contains phytochemicals that are not defined as nutrients and may be antinutrient factors, such as polyphenols, saponins, tannins, and oxalates. These compounds are reduced in content and antinutrient effect by cooking.
The stalks may have sharp spines that need to be removed before consumption.
The genus most likely originated in Central America. The native range of the genus is cosmopolitan in tropical regions. It is found in elevations ranging from lowlands to mountain ranges such as the Himalayas.
All parts of the plant are considered edible. It is well established as a highly nutritious and stress-tolerant crop well-suited for climate change-related stress if cultivated with agrivoltaics. Its high oxalic content may be partially offset by its yield of calcium.
Greenstripe · Prostrate pigweed · Mat amaranth · Purple amaranth · Brown's amaranth · Love-lies-bleeding · Red amaranth · Spleen amaranth · Mediterranean amaranth · Slim amaranth · Prince-of-Wales feather · African amaranth
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Amaranth by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
