Amaranthus caudatus
Love-lies-bleeding
Common names: Garden amaranth, Tassel flower, Foxtail amaranth, Hanging foxtail
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 20 l
- Lifespan
- Annual
- Flowering
- Jul–Oct
- Hardiness
- Cold damage below 2 °C
- Water need
- Low
Photo: Tubifex · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
The garden foxtail, botanically Amaranthus caudatus, is an annual summer flower native to South America and an eye-catching feature in the garden. It grows upright and usually reaches 80 to 120 cm in height, or taller on nutrient-rich soil. From July to October, thick tassel-like flower spikes, often 30 to 50 cm long, hang from the leaf axils and shoot tips, usually in deep dark red, or in light green on green-flowered varieties. The foliage is large and oval. In the garden, it is placed at the back of summer flower beds, in cottage gardens, and in large containers. It thrives in warmth and sun, tolerates drought well, and readily self-seeds. The flower tassels are suitable for bouquets, both fresh and dried.
Care instructions
The garden foxtail needs a full-sun, warm location. From mid-April, sow it indoors, and plant it out only after the Ice Saints, from calendar week 20, because even light frost will kill it. Direct sowing into the bed can be done from early May. Space plants 40 cm apart. The soil should be well-drained; very rich soil and heavy fertilizing make the plant tall, soft, and prone to wind damage. Water young plants regularly; later it tolerates longer dry spells. In windy locations, tie tall plants to a stake. The flower tassels stay attractive until the first frost, and no tidying is needed. To prevent seedlings next year, cut the flower heads in September before the seeds ripen. Common mistakes are partial shade, waterlogging, and too much nitrogen.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingApr–May
FloweringJul–Oct
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 12 °C, ideally 22 °C
- Days to sprout
- 7 to 14 days
- Light
- Needs light to sprout
- Sowing depth
- Press in, don't cover
- How to start
- Start indoors, then plant out
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, humus-rich, loamy, sandy
Love-lies-bleeding grows best in free-draining, humus-rich soil that is moderately rich in nutrients. Loamy sand and sandy loam are ideal; the pH may be neutral to slightly acidic. It is undemanding and tolerates drought well, but not waterlogging. In very rich, nitrogen-rich soil it becomes tall and soft and falls over more easily. In pots, use good-quality potting compost in a large, heavy container so that the plant does not topple in wind.
Feeding
Medium feeder
Months
May–Jul
Love-lies-bleeding is a moderate feeder, but undemanding. Work a little mature compost into the soil when planting; in the bed it usually needs nothing more. In June you can feed it once with diluted nettle feed. In pots, give liquid fertiliser for flowering plants every two weeks from June to July. Too much nitrogen makes the plants tall, soft and prone to wind damage.
Overwintering
Love-lies-bleeding is an annual and is killed by the first frost. You clear the plants away in autumn, or you leave the flower heads standing for a while, as long as they look decorative. Because the plants like to self-seed, seedlings often turn up the following spring, which you weed out or move. For your own seed, cut off dry flower heads and shake the seeds out over a cloth.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
You sow love-lies-bleeding directly into the bed from early May, when the soil is warm. Scatter the tiny seeds thinly and cover them with, at most, a wafer-thin layer of soil. In warmth they germinate within one to two weeks. Later you thin the seedlings to 40 cm apart. For earlier-flowering plants, start them indoors from mid-April and plant them out after the Ice Saints. The plants self-seed easily. Where you do not want seedlings, cut off the flower heads before the seeds ripen.
For your garden
Grow Love-lies-bleeding yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
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