Tropical and Exotic Amaranthus Spinosus and Amaranthus Caudatus

Also Known as Love Lies Bleeding

These Tropical and incredibly beautiful, yet exotic looking Amaranthus Spinosus and Amaranthus Caudatus, amaranth plant and the amaranthus flowers it produces are easy to grow and add such an exotic tropical feel to your garden with deep vibrant colors.

The tropical amaranthus plant is known as a monoecious annual herbs and goes under several different names such as thorny amaranth, edlebur, spiny amaranth, prickly amaranth, needle burr, spiny pigweed, and thorny pigweed and in Hawaiian islands where it grows quite freely is know as pakai kukû, and pukai kukû.

The Amaranthus Caudatus are herbaceous flowering annuals and is known by many names like, Love Lies Bleeding, Tassel Flower Amaranthus caudatus, Amaranthus edulis, foxtail amaranth and Amaranthus mantegazzianus.

These plants originate from tropical Americas and is commonly grown wild in many tropical islands including many of the Hawaiian Islands.

The Caudatus is consumed in countries like India and South America. The parts that are edible are the seeds and leaves. It is most popular as a spice called kiwicha.

Spinosus is also edible but more commonly found and thought of as a weed in Northern and Southern America. Its most popular use is cooking the stems and leaves just like spinach which is just as nutritious.

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These next three photos are of the Spinosus

These next pictures are of the beautiful Amaranthus Caudatus which looks very similar to the Chenille plant

How To Grow The Amaranthus Plant and The Beautiful Amaranthus Flower

As usual to ensure a healthy plant with bright green healthy leaves and deep red to a bright reddish pink flower, regular watering is needed and you should maintain soil moisture all season.

Most all Amaranthus will prefer to grow in partly shady to full sunlight conditions but it won’t grow very well in complete shade, the more sun the better.

This plant isn’t very picky and will grow in just about any soil type, though it is best to make sure the PH is between 6 and 7, which contributes and encourages vibrant colored flowers.

The best plant to plant the seeds are when there is no more frost usually about the end of March.

Don’t bury the seeds deep just lightly cover seeds with soil, and make sure seedling has plenty of sunlight.

This plant can get wide and want to sprawl outwards as well as up so make sure to space the seeds about 8 to 12 inches apart.

It will take at least two weeks before germination will take place.

This plant does need fertilizer for optimum growth and as I usually suggest a time released fertilizer is best and should be applied at least once every other month

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