{"product_id":"love-lies-bleeding-amaranth-am0525c","title":"Love Lies Bleeding Amaranth Seeds, Heirloom Tassel Flower, Amaranthus Caudatus, AM0525C","description":"Love Lies Bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus)\u003cbr\u003eAlso known as tassel flower, foxtail amaranth, and velvet flower, Amaranthus caudatus is one of the most dramatically beautiful annuals you can grow, and one of the easiest. Native to the high Peruvian Andes, where it has been cultivated for thousands of years by the Quechua and Inca peoples as both a food crop and a ceremonial plant, Love Lies Bleeding has captivated gardeners worldwide since Spanish explorers first brought it to Europe in the 1500s. Victorian gardeners were particularly enchanted by its melancholic theatricality, and in the Victorian language of flowers it represented untenable romance, a fitting meaning for a plant whose deep crimson tassels cascade toward the earth like drops of velvet blood.\u003cbr\u003eThose tassels are the whole show. Long, rope-like panicles of tiny, densely packed burgundy-crimson flowers hang in dramatic, weeping curtains from an upright, bushy plant reaching 3-8 feet tall and 1-3 feet wide. Each tassel can reach up to 2 feet in length, swaying gently in the breeze and deepening in color as the season progresses from summer through fall. The contrast against large, fresh green ovate leaves makes this one of the most architecturally striking plants available for the back of a border, as a specimen plant, or as a bold backdrop for other summer annuals.\u003cbr\u003eDespite its exotic looks, Love Lies Bleeding couldn't be easier to grow. It thrives in full sun with average to fertile, well-draining soil, tolerates heat with enthusiasm, handles poor soil better than most annuals, and grows fast once warm weather arrives. It blooms in 60-75 days from seed and continues producing tassels right up until frost. Self-seeds freely in warm climates, often returning year after year with no effort on your part.\u003cbr\u003eA genuinely versatile plant beyond pure ornamental use. The tassels are outstanding as fresh cut flowers and even better dried, holding their rich color and chenille-like texture beautifully for months. The seeds are edible and highly nutritious, related to and used similarly to quinoa in Andean cuisine, rich in protein and gluten-free. Birds are particularly fond of the seedheads as they ripen, making it a natural feeder in the late season garden.\u003cbr\u003eQuick growing facts:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSow on surface and cover lightly\u003cbr\u003eStart indoors 4-6 weeks before last frost, or direct sow after frost\u003cbr\u003eGermination temp: 65-75°F | Sprout time: 7-15 days\u003cbr\u003eFull sun, average to fertile, well-draining soil\u003cbr\u003eHeight: 3-8 ft | Spread: 1-3 ft | Spacing: 12-18 in\u003cbr\u003eDays to bloom: 60-75 days from seed\u003cbr\u003eAnnual (zones 2-11), self-seeds in warm climates\u003cbr\u003eOutstanding fresh and dried cut flower\u003cbr\u003eEdible seeds and leaves\u003cbr\u003eAttracts birds\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e250 Seeds\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe combine shipping on all orders, you pay one flat fee for as many seeds as you would like and orders over $35 ship for free to the US. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAll our seeds undergo vigorous germination testing to meet or exceed industry standards for viability. Never GMO.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"SeedCult","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53452339020139,"sku":"AM0525C","price":1.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0973\/5815\/2043\/files\/0_8120353c-f883-4182-a45b-7a4e67c85c85.png?v=1783046782","url":"https:\/\/seedcult.com\/products\/love-lies-bleeding-amaranth-am0525c","provider":"SeedCult","version":"1.0","type":"link"}