Love-lies-bleeding Seeds (Amaranthus caudatus)

Harvested from the gardens at Monticello.
When Thomas Jefferson noted "amarenths" on an 1806 list of flowers, he was likely referring to Love-Lies-Bleeding, a curious summer annual cultivated by the earliest American flower gardeners. Its common name suggests the unusual, cascading red flowers, that droop 12-24” down, and can be cut for fresh or dried arrangements.

Direct sow seeds outdoors after the last spring frost. Alternatively, start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost, then harden off and transplant outdoors after the last frost. Approximately 70-80 seeds per packet.

Amaranthus caudatus is an annual flowering plant that goes by common names such as love-lies-bleeding, pendant amaranth, tassel flower, velvet flower, and foxtail amaranth. Amaranthus caudatus gets its unusual common name from its tiny blood red petalless flowers that bloom in narrow, drooping, tassel-like, terminal and axillary panicles throughout the growing season. Panicles typically hang straight down to 12"-24" long.