Amaranthus caudatus

RHS Plant Profile

love-lies-bleeding

Other common names

careless, cat tail, chenile plant, floramor, Inca wheat, lady's riding whip, tassel flower, teasel flower, thrumwort, tumbleweed, velvet flower

Synonyms

Amaranthus caudatus green-leaved

Annual Biennial Bedding

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A bushy, erect annual or biennial, with large ovate leaves and drooping, crimson tassel-like racemes of tiny flowers in summer and autumn

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 1–2 years
Max Spread: 0.5-1 metres
Max Height: 1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H2
Drought Resistance: Yes

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Amaranthaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Amaranthus can be upright or spreading annuals or short-lived perennials, with simple leaves and tiny flowers borne in dense, erect or pendulous, catkin-like inflorescences in summer and autumn
Name Status: Correct
Plant Range: Ecuador to NW Argentina

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in moist, fertile, humus-rich soil in full sun, in a sheltered site. Will tolerate poor soil, but then requires watering freely during dry periods in summer. Large enough to make an architectural feature, the flowers can be used for fresh or dried arrangements and birds love the seedheads

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown in-situ in mid-spring , thin to 60cm apart

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Prairie planting
Wildlife gardens
Flower borders and beds
Cut flowers

Pruning

Cut back after flowering

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids

Diseases

May be susceptible to a virus