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Amaranthus caudatus
Also called Purple amaranth, Tassel Flower, Inca Wheat, Foxtail Amaranth, Foxtail, Red Hot Cattail, Velvet Flower
Love-lies-bleeding is an annual Andean plant grown for its dense, drooping tassel-like flower panicles and edible leaves and seeds. It is a sun-loving summer annual that needs adequate moisture and a long warm season.
Amaranthus caudatus (also known as Amaranthus edulis and Amaranthus mantegazzianus) is an Andean species of annual flowering plant. It goes by common names such as love-lies-bleeding, pendant amaranth, tassel flower, velvet flower, and foxtail amaranth. In South America, it is known as kiwicha.
Many parts of the plant, including the leaves and seeds, are edible, and sometimes exported outside of Latin America.
Despite the fact that A. caudatus had been a well-adapted staple in the Andean region for millennia and had offered substantial nutritional advantages to the native people, when the Spanish came in the 1500s, they replaced A. caudatus cultivations with wheat and barley. However, because of its great nutritional content, A. caudatus is regaining popularity and returning to compete with modern crops. Although A. caudatus is seldom recognized outside of the Andes, significant plantings have been observed in Mexico, China, Nepal, India and Kenya.
In most parts of its habitat, A. caudatus can easily grow between 1 and 2.5 m (3+1⁄2 and 8 ft) and grows best in full sun within 4–6 months. However, in some highland regions it can take up to 10 months. It is a summer annual C4 plant. It grows from Ecuador to northern Argentina mostly in mild areas or in the valleys of the Andes. Despite its geographical adaptability, it is a short-day plant and needs adequate moisture.
A. caudatus is an indigenous crop from the high Peruvian Andes that has been cultivated for thousands of years by many cultures including the Incas. It is the only amaranth species that can grow at altitudes greater than 2,500 m (8,200 ft) above sea level.
Greenstripe · Prostrate pigweed · Mat amaranth · Purple amaranth · Brown's amaranth · Red amaranth · Spleen amaranth · Mediterranean amaranth · Slim amaranth · Prince-of-Wales feather · African amaranth · Carelessweed
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Amaranthus caudatus 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.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
