Rio San Lorenzo Amaranth brings the ornamental drama of Durango, Mexico straight to your garden. This heirloom cultivar of Amaranthus hypochondriacus produces stunning marbled flower heads in blond, pale pink, and occasional fuschia tones that seem almost painted by hand. The grain-bearing seed is edible and nutritious, while young leaves offer a tender green vegetable, giving you dual harvests from a single plant. Hardy in zones 3 through 11, it thrives in moderate water and full sun, making it an adaptable addition to diverse growing regions.
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Moderate
3-11
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Moderate
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The marbled inflorescences are genuinely striking, with pale golden tones suffused with soft pink and unexpected flashes of fuschia that deepen as they mature. This isn't just a grain crop; it's a plant that earns its space as much for visual impact as for edible yield. Sourced from the Seed Bank Collection at Native Seeds/SEARCH, it carries the genetic diversity of traditional Mexican agriculture and performs well across a wide hardiness range.
Rio San Lorenzo serves dual purposes. The mature seed head produces blond grains that can be harvested, dried, and used as a nutritious whole grain in porridges, baked goods, or popped like popcorn. Young leaves are best harvested and prepared as a tender green vegetable, offering a spinach-like addition to salads, stir-fries, or cooked greens when plants are still establishing.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your last frost date. Sow seeds directly on the soil surface or just barely covered, as light aids germination. Keep soil at 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit until seedlings emerge, typically in 7 to 10 days. Provide bright light once sprouted.
Transplant hardened-off seedlings outdoors after your last frost date when soil has warmed and nighttime temperatures remain above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Space plants 12 to 18 inches apart to allow room for the mature inflorescence.
Direct sow seeds outdoors after frost danger passes and soil has warmed. Scatter seeds on prepared soil and press gently into place, covering minimally or not at all. Thin seedlings to 12 to 18 inches apart once they reach 2 to 3 inches tall.
For grain harvest, wait until the flower head dries and darkens on the plant, typically 90 to 120 days after sowing depending on your zone and growing season length. The seed will feel hard between your fingers and the seed head will shed seeds easily when rubbed. Cut the entire inflorescence and dry it further indoors on a clean cloth or screen, then thresh by hand to separate seeds. For fresh greens, harvest young leaves and tender stems when plants are 6 to 12 inches tall, before they dedicate energy to flowering and grain production.
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“Rio San Lorenzo Amaranth originates from Durango, Mexico, where it developed as a dual-purpose grain and vegetable crop within indigenous agricultural traditions. The variety is preserved and distributed through Native Seeds/SEARCH's Seed Bank Collection, an organization dedicated to maintaining rare and regionally adapted seeds from the southwestern United States and Mexico. This stewardship ensures that traditional varieties like Rio San Lorenzo remain available to gardeners and farmers who value both cultural continuity and genetic diversity.”