FlowerAmaranth
Dreadlocks Amaranth
Love-lies-bleeding
Dreadlocks Amaranth is a showstopping heirloom that transforms the garden into a living sculpture. Its fountain-like clusters of magenta-burgundy flowers drape downward in dramatic weeping strands, with tassels sometimes reaching nearly to the ground, a truly unusual architectural element in any planting scheme. These compact plants reach 3-4 feet tall and mature in about 84 days, making them surprisingly quick to reach their full theatrical glory. Both the seeds and young leaves are edible and deeply nutritious, adding a functional element to this ornamental powerhouse.
Tubifex(CC BY-SA 3.0)
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
10-12
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Low
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam; Tolerates Poor Soil
Preferred Temp70-85°F
Growth Stats
60 in
Height
36 in
Width
PeriodAnnual
TypeBush
Spacing
12-18 inches apart
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Low
Zones
10-12
Size
60in H x 36in W
Growth
Annual
Care
High
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Highlights
What sets Dreadlocks apart is its peculiar, gravity-defying flower structure, those characteristic drooping tassels create a living cascade of color that draws the eye and doubles as an exceptional cutting flower for floral design. The compact growth habit keeps it manageable in beds and borders despite its dramatic presence. Its dual nature as both ornamental spectacle and edible source makes it a conversation starter that actually produces food. With its tolerance for drought and preference for full sun, it thrives where other plants struggle, flowering reliably from summer straight through fall.
Common Uses
Dreadlocks Amaranth shines as an ornamental cutting flower for floral arrangements, where those extraordinary drooping flower heads create arrangements with genuine personality and depth. The young leaves can be harvested and used as nutritious greens, while the mature seeds offer a protein-rich grain option. Its dramatic form makes it equally valuable as a garden specimen plant in beds and borders, where it adds architectural interest and visual movement that static plantings simply cannot achieve.
Growing Timeline
First Bloom
Mid-summer
First Harvest
Not Applicable
Last Harvest
Not Applicable
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors six weeks before your last frost date. Sow thinly into seed-starting mix and place a humidity dome over the containers to maintain even moisture. Keep temperatures between 65-75°F. Germination typically occurs within 3-14 days. Using vermiculite as a thin covering helps prevent damping off, a common problem with delicate seedlings.
Transplant Outdoors
Transplant seedlings outdoors after the last frost date has passed, when soil has warmed sufficiently. Harden off seedlings gradually by exposing them to outdoor conditions over several days before planting into garden beds.
Direct Sow
Direct sow seeds after the last frost date by scattering them thinly where you want them to grow. Germination will occur within 3-10 days under warm conditions.
Harvesting
Harvest young leaves at any point during the growing season for use as nutritious greens. For seed harvest, allow flower heads to mature fully and dry on the plant as autumn approaches. Seeds are ready to collect when the flower heads have completely dried and begin to shed seeds naturally. You can cut the entire dried flower head and thresh it to release seeds, or allow them to self-seed in the garden.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Drought TolerantEdible
Soil pH Range
6 – 7.5
Bloom Time
Summer To Fall
Scientific Classification
Amaranthus caudatus L.
Family
Amaranthaceae
Genus
Amaranthus
Duration
Annual
Growth Habit
Forb/herb
Native Status
L48 (I)PR (I)