How to Plant and Grow Foxtail Amaranth

An easy-to-grow annual with a big garden presence, foxtail amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus) may be tricky to find in garden centers but can be easily grown from seed. It's also known as love-lies-bleeding and tassel flower because of its showy, ropelike flower stalks that appear around midsummer. The flowers hold their color as the panicles of blooms continue growing until frost, extending 12 inches or more toward the ground. They make beautiful additions to cut flower arrangements. This guide explains how to grow foxtail amaranth in your own garden.

Where to Plant Foxtail Amaranth

Foxtail amaranth is a great planting solution for full-sun locations that need a big splash of color. Use this bold annual to add a focal point to containers and as standouts in the middle or back of garden beds.

Plants grow 3–5 feet tall and spread 1–3 feet wide, depending on the variety, so make sure the amaranth has plenty of space to expand as the season progresses. The plants grow quickly as soon as daytime temperatures regularly reach 70°F. This plant loves to soak up the sun, but it needs water for germination and during pollination, so plant it where you can easily water it.

How and When to Plant Foxtail Amaranth

Either sow seeds or transplant seedlings into the garden after all chance of frost has passed in spring.

In early spring, after the last average frost date in your region, direct sow the tiny seeds thinly in a well-draining garden bed, covering them only lightly with soil. Keep the soil moist until the seeds germinate, which takes five to 10 days at temperatures close to 70°F. When the seedlings reach 4 inches tall, thin them to stand 12-18 inches apart, depending on the variety. These quick-growers will bloom within eight weeks after sowing.

If you prefer to start the seeds indoors for transplants later, sow the seeds in a soilless planting mix six to eight weeks before the last spring frost date. Place them in a bright, warm location and keep the planting medium moist until germination. Harden off the resulting seedlings before transplanting them into the garden after the last frost date.

Foxtail amaranth often needs staking when its long flower stalks develop, so sink a 4-foot-tall stake into the soil near the base of each plant. As it grows, loosely tie its stem to the stake.

Foxtail Amaranth Care Tips

Light

Full sun is essential for this plant to thrive—six or more hours daily. When grown in partial shade, foxtail amaranth produces fewer flowers and weak stems.

Soil and Water

Foxtail amaranth thrives in moist, loamy, average or organically rich, well-drained soil, but it grows in just about any soil, even sandy and clay soils. Water this plant once or twice a week during dry spells, making sure it receives at least 1 inch of water each week. It needs water during germination and pollination but can do with less water for the rest of the season.

Temperature and Humidity

Foxtail amaranth grows best when the temperature is between 70°F and 82°F, but it tolerates a much wider range—from 45° to 100°F. This annual can't handle cold weather, though. Any temperature chillier than 40°F kills the plant. Average humidity is sufficient for the plant, although it is grown in the humid tropics successfully.

Fertilizer

Foxtail amaranth plants don't need any supplemental fertilizer, but gardeners who want to fertilize their plants should use only organic fertilizers, such as a weekly spray of compost tea. This plant is intolerant of inorganic fertilizers, particularly those containing high amounts of nitrogen.

Pruning

There is no need to prune this annual. Remove any damaged foliage as it occurs to discourage any pests or diseases that could take advantage of the situation. After the plant dies in winter, remove and discard the remaining foliage.

Potting and Repotting Foxtail Amaranth

Because of their cascading flowers, smaller foxtail amaranth plants are excellent for growing in hanging baskets. Use well-draining potting soil in a container with excellent drainage. Set the planter outside when warm weather arrives and leave it until the plant dies in fall. This plant is an annual, so it doesn't require repotting.

Pests and Problems

Aphids are frequent visitors of foxtail amaranth plants. They can be removed with a strong spray of water or treated with neem oil.

Leaf beetles can be a problem for foxtail amaranth. Watch for small holes on the leaves, which is the first indication of their presence. Spray beetles with soapy water or pick off the beetles and drop them into soapy water. Most of the damage is cosmetic, but a full-blown infestation of beetles, nymphs, and eggs can weaken the plant and call for an insecticide or the removal of the plant from the garden. The same treatments are recommended for caterpillars found on the leaves.

How to Propagate Foxtail Amaranth

The best way to propagate foxtail amaranth is with seed harvested from a mature plant. Wait until the flower stalks die and begin to turn brown. Hold a paper bag under the stalk and tease the flower tassels with your fingers, causing ripe seeds to drop into the bag. Remove any chaff and store the seeds in an airtight jar in a dry, dark location until spring. Start foxtail amaranth from seed indoors six to eight weeks before your area's last frost, or sow them directly in the garden after the weather warms.

Harvesting Flowers

Foxtail amaranth is a favorite everlasting flower. Its flowers turn a warm shade of bronze after the stems dry. To harvest stems for drying, cut young, fresh flower stalks. Tie two or three stems together and hang them in a dark, airy, dry place. The stems will dry in about one month and can be added to dried flower arrangements.

Types of Foxtail Amaranth

'Coral Fountain' Foxtail Amaranth

Amaranthus caudatus 'Coral Fountain' has light coral-pink tassels and grows 3-5 feet tall. It makes a statement in both dried and fresh arrangements. 'Coral Fountain' relishes heat and comes into its own in midsummer, blooming until late fall.

'Dreadlocks' Foxtail Amaranth

Amaranthus caudatus 'Dreadlocks’, known for its long tassels of bright magenta flowers, is an exotic plant that adds drama to the garden. Its everlasting blooms are spectacular in flower arrangements, and birds love the seedheads. It grows to 3-5 feet.

'Emerald Tassles' Foxtail Amaranth

If you're looking for something different, Amaranthus caudatus ‘Emerald Tassles’ delivers with lime green trailing blooms that pair beautifully with 'Coral Fountain' in arrangements. This plant grows to 5 feet tall.

'Fat Spike' Foxtail Amaranth

Amaranthus caudatus ‘Fat Spike’ doesn’t have the drooping panicles that most foxtail amaranth plants have. It has a single upright deep purplish-red flower spike. The spike is 3 inches thick, sometimes tapering to 1 inch. Overall, the plant reaches 3-4 feet tall.

Foxtail Amaranth Companion Plants

Celosia

There are few flowers as showy as celosia. Whether you plant the plumed type, which produces striking upright spires, or the crested type, which has a fascinating twisted form, you'll love using celosia in bouquets. The flowers are beautiful fresh, but they also dry well. They bloom in all the colors of a glowing sunset. Plant established seedlings in spring after all danger of frost has passed. Celosia likes rich, well-drained soil with moderate water. Spider mites can sometimes be a problem in hot, dry weather.

Mexican Sunflower

Attract butterflies and have fun doing it with big, bold, beautiful Mexican sunflower. Sow seeds directly in the ground and watch them soar. This plant can grow to 5 feet in weeks with big, lush foliage and small but showy flowers in sunset colors that butterflies love. Put a cluster of these bodacious beauties in the back of the border to give it height and drama. Many of the taller types need staking to keep them upright. Plant them outdoors after all danger of frost has passed in a sunny spot with well-drained soil.

Annual Sunflower

Big, beautiful, and old-fashioned, sunflowers suit most gardens. Plant breeders have been hard at work producing a wide variety, from those that grow 12 feet tall to compact selections that stand only 3 feet tall. The color range is wide, too, with almost every shade of yellow, orange, and red.