Hopi Red Dye Amaranth stands as one of the most vibrant and culturally significant vegetables you can grow, producing the deepest red seedlings of any known amaranth variety. This traditional Hopi variety reaches an impressive 5 feet tall in 70 to 90 days, creating dramatic burgundy-red foliage and long, plumed seed heads that have colored indigenous cuisine for generations. Heat and drought tolerant like all amaranths, it thrives in full sun to partial shade with 12-inch spacing, though some growers space plants closer at 6 inches for intensive harvests.
Full Sun
Moderate
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60in H x ?in W
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Moderate
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This amaranth produces the most intensely red seedlings of any variety, creating a stunning visual impact from germination through maturity. The deep burgundy-red leaves provide exceptional color contrast in summer gardens while the traditional dye extracted from its flower bracts continues to color the famous Hopi piki bread. Both the vibrant young leaves and nutritious dark seeds are edible, making this a true dual-purpose crop that serves as ornament, food, and cultural artifact all in one towering plant.
Young leaves excel when sautéed as a nutritious green, offering exceptional color and flavor to summer dishes when heat-tolerant greens are scarce. The mature flower bracts provide natural dye for food coloring, craft projects, and textile work, producing brilliant red pigments that have colored traditional foods for generations. The dark, nutritious seeds can be harvested and used like quinoa or ground into flour, while the striking burgundy foliage makes this variety valuable as an ornamental plant in edible landscapes.
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Direct sow seeds in late spring after all danger of frost has passed in a sunny, well-drained location. Surface sow seeds, barely covering with 1/8 inch of soil. Seeds typically sprout in 3-4 days when soil temperatures reach 65-90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Harvest young leaves continuously throughout the growing season for sautéing, selecting the most vibrant red specimens for best flavor and visual appeal. For dye production, harvest the deep red flower bracts when they reach full color intensity. Seeds can be collected when the long, plumed seed heads mature and begin to dry, typically around 70 to 90 days from sowing.
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“Originally cultivated by the Hopi Nation of the American Southwest, this amaranth variety represents centuries of careful selection for its exceptional dye properties. The Hopi people have long used the deep red flower bracts to create natural dyes for their world-renowned piki bread, a paper-thin ceremonial bread that holds profound cultural significance. This variety has been preserved through traditional seed saving practices, maintaining its genetic integrity and cultural importance across generations of indigenous growers.”