Amaranthus caudatus Fat Spike - Love-Lies-Bleeding

Amaranthus caudatus Fat Spike, also known as Love-Lies-Bleeding, is a rather unique selection. It displays upright and tapered plumes in late summer and autumn, with a deep violet-red velvety colour, above dark green to purple foliage. These annuals bloom with grandeur, bringing majesty to flower pots or perennial beds. They are also excellent flowers for bouquets. They grow quickly, prefer well-drained soils rich in nitrogen, and thrive in warm positions.

Native to South America, from the Andes to southern Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru, Amaranthus caudatus is an herbaceous annual plant in the Amaranthaceae family. It is cultivated for ornamental purposes, but also, to a lesser extent, as a cereal crop. The Fat Spike variety stands out for its very wide inflorescences, which are erect rather than hanging. This surprising flowering occurs in late summer and autumn. The tiny, petal-less flowers, with reddish-bracted heads, are clustered on upright panicles that are 30 cm (12in) long. Their diameter is 7 cm (3in) at the base and 2.5 cm (1in) at the top. They are borne on plants that reach a height of 90 cm (35in) and have rapid growth. The thick, reddish stems with few branches bear large, soft leaves, 3 to 15 cm (1 to 6in) long, ovate to lanceolate, alternate, with very prominent veins, ranging from dark green to purple.

Amaranthus caudatus are theatrical flowers, with a dramatic temperament that expresses itself in the midst of perennial beds and makes a statement in large pots on patios. They enhance the simple blooms of field daisies and accompany the radiant suns of Echinaceas in a flamboyant manner. These plants will make a sensation when planted in groups of three to five in the middle of a carpet of groundcover plants such as Cerastostigma plumbaginoides or Ajuga reptans.

The Quechua Indians have been cultivating these plants for more than 4000 years, long before they appeared in our gardens. The medicinal and culinary virtues of amaranths are currently being rediscovered: the young shoots can be used as a vegetable in various culinary preparations, and the protein content of the grain is very high, with its distribution of amino acids appearing optimal for human consumption.