The love-lies-bleeding is an annual plant that is grown as an ornamental and as a food source. It is notable for its long, hanging red or gold blossoms that resemble tassels or fox tails. The leaves and seeds are used to make flour and other foods. Traditionally, several parts of this plant were utilized as herbal medicine.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Amaranthus caudatus (also known as Amaranthus edulis and Amaranthus mantegazzianus) is a species of annual flowering plant. It goes by common names such as love-lies-bleeding, pendant amaranth, tassel flower, velvet flower, foxtail amaranth, and quilete.
To the Quechua people of South America, A. caudatus is referred to as kiwicha, quihuicha, inca jataco; ataco, ataku, sankurachi, jaguarcha (Ecuador), millmi, or coimi. While to the Aymara people, who are native to the Andes and Altiplano regions of South America, A. caudatus is known as qamasa.
Many parts of the plant, including the leaves and seeds, are edible, and are frequently used as a source of food in India as well as in South America, where it is the most important Andean species of Amaranthus, known as kiwicha. (See also amaranth seed and Andean ancient plants.) This species, as with many other amaranths, is originally from the American tropics. The exact origin is unknown, as A. caudatus is believed to be a wild Amaranthus hybridus aggregate. In indigenous agriculture, A. cruentus is the Central American counterpart to South American A. caudatus.
A. caudatus is most recognizable for its striking flowering panicles that can reach up to 90 cm (35.4”) long. The colour of these highly dense flowering panicles ranges from black, to red and more commonly white. The red varieties of A. caudatus are due to a high content of betacyanins.
Each panicle is self-pollinating and the fruits each contain a single small seed, no larger than 1 mm in diameter. Like quinoa, each seed has a shiny coat and the embryo is curved around the small endosperm. The panicles grow from lateral buds and from the main stem.
A. caudatus is an annual, broad-leaved dicotyledon with a central stem that grows from a taproot system. Depending on the variety, A. caudatus can reach up to 2.5 m tall. Leaves and side branches grow outward from the central stem and may start as low as the base of the plant.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
Position in full sun to part shade after the soil has warmed. The sun-loving plant thrives in quite warm weather and will not grow in full shade, but it does appreciate afternoon shade in exceptionally hot summer climates.
Temperature and Humidity
Plants are not frost-hardy. The most cold-tolerant Amaranthus cultivars can tolerate temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. It may last as a perennial in areas with no frost. Love-lies-bleeding is sensitive to the length of the day and does not perform well in northern latitudes. Germination happens quickly in warm soil.
Watering
This fairly drought-resistant plant still benefits from good watering practice. Seeds require balanced moisture levels. Then, until seedlings are established and growing actively, they still require evenly moist soil. Once established, the love-lies-bleeding plant needs little attention.
Soil
Grow love-lies-bleeding in mildly acidic soil of a pH between 5.5 to 6.5. While it grows well in average, well-draining, and well-fertilized soils, some gardeners say it has the best color when planted in poor soil. Any light (sandy), medium (loamy), or heavy (clay) soil will do. If fertilizing the plant, use only organic fertilizer.
Fertilizing
Fertilizers are not necessary for love-lies-bleeding. If you have poor soil, use organic fertilizer options like fish emulsion, worm castings, or compost.
Pruning
If the plant stalks become floppy during the growing season, provide support with garden stakes. Remove damaged or diseased leaves, stems, or flowers with clean shears.
Propagation
To make more plants, you can sow seeds or root cuttings. Here’s how to propagate by cuttings:
- You will need scissors or pruners to snip off a healthy, 4-inch long stem with two to four leaves.
- Bury the bottom 2 inches in a new planting site or a container with fresh potting soil or soilless media like perlite and vermiculite.
- Keep the soil watered and moist.
How to Grow from Seed
This self-fertile species is monoecious, meaning its flowers are male or female, while both sexes can be found on a single plant, and the wind pollinates it. Growing from seed is fast; it averages about 60 to 110 days from sowing to harvest. Seeds will only germinate between 40 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit; the ideal temperature range is 68 to 70 F. Harvest the seeds just before the plant matures to avoid losing any seeds. Here’s how to sow the seeds:
- After the last frost, sow seeds directly outdoors and space them 18 to 24 inches apart.
- Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost date, then harden off plants just after the last frost date.
- Space smaller varieties eight to 12 inches apart and larger ones up to 18 inches apart. It can take three to five days to sprout.
Potting and Repotting
Love-lies-bleeding produces pendulous flowers that display beautifully from hanging baskets. However, amaranth plants have long roots, so larger containers are best.
Love-lies-bleeding grows smaller in containers, so expect it to grow about 3 feet tall. It will do best in a large, heavy container like a 10-gallon container. Since it only lives one growing season, it will not need repotting. Use well-draining potting soil and make sure the container has ample drainage holes.
Overwintering
Love-lies-bleeding is an annual plant and will die with frost and cold temperatures. However, it self-seeds readily, and you will likely see new plants in the spring if you allow your previous season’s plant to go to seed.
Pests and Diseases
Common Pests and Diseases
A. caudatus is relatively pest-free, but you must watch for aphids, Japanese beetles, snails, and slugs. Remove the pests with steady streams of water, insecticidal soap, or neem oil. You can also handpick beetles, snails, and slugs.
Beware of root rot in poorly drained soils and fungal leaf spot diseases. These are best prevented by providing good air circulation and watering at the soil line versus overhead watering.
Common Problems
Love-lies-bleeding is an easy-to-grow, low-maintenance plant with very few issues or problems.
Plant Not Growing
Love-lies-bleeding grows slowly at first. It germinates quickly but then slows down. It may seem that the plant is not growing or growing very slowly—which is normal and not a sign of distress. By the time the plant reaches one foot, growth speeds up.
Wilting
An established love-lies-bleeding plant is drought tolerant but still requires water. If the leaves are wilting or drying out, the plant likely needs deep watering to bring it back to life.
III. Uses and Benefits
- Ornamental uses
Love-lies-bleeding is commonly grown as a flowering summer annual and prized for its blood-red waterfalls of blooms. Because of its drooping behavior, love-lies-bleeding is perfect for planting in hanging pots or along paths to fully appreciate its cascading effect. It could work well grown along fences as well. It makes a wonderful addition to cottage or informal gardens. Spider flower, throatwort, and coleus are excellent companion plants for love-lies-bleeding.
- Culinary uses
There are several uses of kiwicha. When ground, it can be used as flour but also as breading for sweets and main dishes when crushed. Seeds can be popped as popcorn on a pan and, like oats, can be eaten with milk as cereals.
In Mexico, A. caudatus is used on sweets with honey and the dish is called “alegria” (meaning “happiness” in Spanish), India has a similar dish called “ladoos”. A. caudatus is slowly making its way outside of Latin America. Cookies and other breakfast food made of kiwicha can be found for example in stores in the United States. Even though kiwicha is gluten free, adding kiwicha flour to wheat when producing leavened food increase the nutritional value of the bread. As flour, A. caudatus is also used for pasta and noodles formation.
Nowadays, and because of its nutritional values, some scientists explored the substitution of some vegetables by amaranth leaves in kenyan traditional dishes and investigated if the vitamins and minerals remain when boiled for instance. Depending on the vegetables used in the mix, minerals and iron uptake can be improved.
- Animal feed
After the A. caudatus grains have been removed, the remaining plant material (stover) can be used for fodder. During dry seasons when forage is limited, fodder from A. caudatus stover would be an essential source of animal feed for Andean farmers to maintain their livestock.
Additionally, A. caudatus can be suitable to be used as a high-protein forage crop in the tropics.
- Natural dye
In Peru, simple methods have been developed to extract Betalain from red varieties of A. caudatus to be used as non-toxic red food coloring. For some applications, this natural dye may be used to replace the use of synthetic dyes. However natural dyes tend to have a lower color fastness and therefore may not function well as a direct substitution.
Find Where to Buy the Best Love-Lies Bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus)
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