Plant record

Flowering Amaranth

Amaranthus hypochondriacus

Flowering amaranth is not background music. Use it when you want height, drama, and late-season color with a pulse.

Rankspeciesreviewed
GenusAmaranthusAmaranthaceae
Species anchorAmaranthus hypochondriacusThis record is anchored to a stable botanical name, then adjusted for square-foot garden decisions.
Library score91/100deep plant record

Garden timing

Direct sow after soil is warm and nights are settled.

Transplant after frost without burying the crown.

Space-saving method: grow with stake support.

Plant intelligence

Use as a north-edge statement plant; it can shade small crops if placed carelessly.

cut flowerpollinatorvertical

Lifecycle: annual

Habit: upright dramatic warm-season annual

Height: 36-72 inches

Spread: 18-30 inches

Germination: 4-10 days

Sow depth: 0.125 inches

Bloom: summer, fall

Attracts: bees, birds

Record score

91/100deep plant record
Taxonomy confidence94Amaranthus hypochondriacus in Amaranthaceae; 2 cached source references.
Square-foot usefulness86multi-square crop with stake support.
Timing and care depth922 planting windows, 60F minimum soil, 2 cautions.
Species and variety drill-down1003 variety or cultivar options attached.
Annual flower intelligence90moderate pollinator value.
Source readiness82Ready for 4 external lookup paths.

Species identity

This record is anchored to a stable botanical name, then adjusted for square-foot garden decisions.

ScientificAmaranthus hypochondriacusFamilyAmaranthaceaeLookup namesFlowering Amaranth, Amaranthus hypochondriacus, grain amaranth, prince's feather

Garden decision matrix

Square-foot fit2 squares per plant
86Use as a north-edge statement plant; it can shade small crops if placed carelessly. Support: stake.
Season behaviorheat-loving
92Direct sow. Transplant. One main planting.
Care loadmoderate water
74Tall plants can shade neighbors. Give dramatic types more than one square. Soil minimum 60F.
Bed ecosystem rolecut flower, pollinator
90moderate pollinator value; burgundy, red, green, bronze.
Variety depth3 options
100Upright plume types are easier than trailing love-lies-bleeding in a square-foot bed.

Species and variety notes

Upright plume types are easier than trailing love-lies-bleeding in a square-foot bed.

Green Thumbcultivar
94small-bed fit

More compact and easier to place than the big red forms.

Best use: cut and garden display. Tradeoff: wait for real warmth before judging performance.

green tassel, cut flower, compact75-90 days24-36 inches tall
Hopi Red Dyecultivar
56small-bed fit

A useful dramatic plant when food, seed, and color all matter.

Best use: cut and garden display. Tradeoff: needs edge placement or support so it does not shade smaller crops.

edible leaves, red dye, seed heads90-110 days48-72 inches tall
Love-Lies-Bleedinggroup
46small-bed fit

Gorgeous, but use it where hanging tassels will not smother neighbors.

Best use: cut and garden display. Tradeoff: needs edge placement or support so it does not shade smaller crops.

trailing tassels, dramatic, needs space90-110 days36-60 inches tall

Companions

corn, zinnia, basil, pepper

Cautions

Tall plants can shade neighbors.

Give dramatic types more than one square.

External enrichment

Cached name: Amaranthus hypochondriacus. Optional lookups can compare GBIF, iNaturalist, Perenual, and Trefle without changing the reviewed garden record.

Open enrichment JSON

Data layers

FVF reviewed cachecachedSpacing, timing, variety, companion, and FVF notes used by the planner.
GBIF and iNaturalistlive no-keyNo-key taxonomy, common-name, and community context checks through the enrichment route.
USDA PLANTS downloadsreferencePeriodic identity, distribution, native status, and conservation reference layer.
Perenual or Trefleoptional keyOptional species images, care data, cultivar/synonym cleanup, then cache only reviewed fields.

API source score

Perenual API88/100optional key: Flower and ornamental drill-down, plant photos, care flags, toxicity, bloom data. Limit: Requires an API key and plan-aware caching, so it should enrich records without blocking the app.
Trefle API84/100optional key: Scientific names, subspecies, varieties, hybrids, synonyms, and broader botanical cleanup. Limit: Requires a token and should be treated as a reviewed import layer, not a live page dependency.
USDA PLANTS downloads82/100download cache: Standard names, plant symbols, distribution, native status, and conservation flags. Limit: Best consumed as periodic downloaded data instead of one-off runtime requests.
GBIF Species API78/100live public: Accepted scientific names, synonyms, family/genus cleanup, and occurrence context. Limit: Not a gardening advice source; pair it with local square-foot growing data.
iNaturalist taxa API72/100live public: Common-name discovery, taxon IDs, and regional biodiversity context. Limit: Observation data is not the same thing as garden suitability or crop timing.

USDA PLANTS Database

Plant identity, taxonomy, nativity, and conservation flags.

Source reference

GBIF Species API

Accepted scientific names, taxonomy matching, and occurrence context.

Source reference

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