Amaranthus cruentus 'Oeschberg'

RHS Plant Profile
prince's feather 'Oeschberg'
prince's feather 'Oeschberg' RHS / Joanna Kossak

Synonyms

Amaranthus paniculatus 'Oeschberg'

Award of Garden Merit
Annual Biennial

'Oeschberg' is a striking cultivar, many-branched but upright, with dark foliage and crimson flower spikes

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
1 year
Max Spread
0.5-1 metres
Max Height
0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
West–facing or South–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
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
Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Under glass grow in peat-free, loam-based compost in full light. Outdoors for summer bedding, grow in moderately fertile, humus-rich, moist soil in full sun in a sheltered site. Water freely during summer to prolong flowering

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown at 20C (68F) in mid-spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Cottage and informal garden
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Sub-tropical
  • Cut flowers
  • Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Remove dead plants grown as summer bedding after flowering

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids

Diseases

May be susceptible to a virus