Amaranth Seeds

Amaranth means "never fading," their wooly textured tassels hint at their longevity as dried blooms. Native to South America and an essential Aztec grain and ceremonial plant. By the 1660s, they were common in Tudor gardens, where the swags of dark red ropelike blooms inspired names such as the admiring Great Purple Flower Gentle and the grisly Nun's Scourge. Amaranth varieties come in awe-inspiring colors—parrot green, burnt orange, claret red, and burgundy. Flourishing in heat and humidity, they are at their best as a tropical centerpiece in a bed of summer annuals in well-drained soils.