Mira Amaranth is a stunning ornamental flower that reaches a compact 42 inches tall with graceful, drooping flower spikes that bloom reliably from summer through fall. Growing in zones 2, 11, this frost-tender annual flowers within 84 days from seed, making it accessible to gardeners across nearly the entire continental United States. Its low water needs and full-sun preference mean you can tuck it into dry, warm corners of the garden where other flowers struggle, and it thrives whether you start seeds indoors six weeks before your last frost or direct sow after frost danger passes.
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2-11
42in H x 24in W
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The drooping flower spikes of Mira Amaranth create a graceful weeping effect that persists from early summer through the first frost, adding architectural interest to any garden for months on end. Its drought tolerance and heat resilience make it a workhorse for dry gardens and containers, while the tight 2-inch spacing between plants allows for dense plantings that create dramatic, full displays. Starting from seed takes just 84 days, so even short-season gardeners can achieve mature, flowering plants before autumn arrives.
Mira Amaranth's drooping flower spikes serve as striking cut flowers and dried flowers for arrangements, holding their color and form long after harvest. The plant is grown primarily as an ornamental addition to summer and fall gardens, where the distinctive pendant blooms create height and movement among shorter perennials and annuals.
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Six weeks before your last frost date, sow seeds thinly into seed-starting mix in pots, maintaining a temperature between 65, 75°F. Barely cover seeds with the soil mix (sow at a depth of just 1/16 inch), then place a humidity dome over the containers or sprinkle a thin layer of vermiculite on top to retain moisture until germination begins. Expect sprouting within 3, 14 days. Keep soil evenly moist but not waterlogged during this period to prevent damping off.
Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor light and wind over 7, 10 days before transplanting. Move hardened-off plants into the garden after your last frost date, spacing them 2 inches apart once soil has warmed.
Direct sow seeds outdoors after all danger of frost has passed, barely covering seeds with soil (1/16 inch depth). Thin seedlings to 2 inches apart once they emerge.
For cut flowers, harvest spikes when they are fully formed and the color is rich and uniform; they can be cut at any point along the stem. For dried flowers, harvest after the spikes have fully matured and begun to dry on the plant, usually in late summer or early fall, then hang upside down in a dry, airy space to cure completely before storing or arranging.
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