Botanical name: Amaranthus caudatus      Family: Amaranthaceae (Amaranth family)

Highly attractive erect fat spikes in deep purplish red, from 3 inch thick tapering to 1 inch, as if standing guard. Ideal as a border filler, and for flower arranging. Love-lies-bleeding gets its unusual common name from its tiny blood red petalless flowers that bloom in narrow, often drooping, tassel-like, terminal and axillary panicles throughout the growing season. Native to tropical America, this is an annual that usually grows 2-4 ft tall. Cultivars with yellow-green flowers are also available. Oval, light green leaves, up to 6 in long. The seeds of this species are edible, and species plants are grown as a grain crop in some parts of South America. This plant is everlasting (Amaranthus comes from the Greek word for unfading) whose flowers retain some color when dried for arrangements. The plant is cultivated in the Himalayas up to altitudes of 2400 m. Flowering: May-August.

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The flower labeled Love Lies Bleeding is ...