35 types and varieties of amaranth with a description, planting and care in the open field
People grow everything that is beautiful and useful. Amaranth is among these plants. In unchanged form - a weed, called thrown back. Every gardener at least once met the so-called "soldiers" on his garden plot, this is nothing more than amaranth. Today, breeders have bred just a great many varieties and types of amaranth. With their beauty and uniqueness, they are eye-catching, and besides, this plant is useful and fruitfully used in cooking. What is this unique and what types are known today.
Varietal variety of amaranth
In the world flora, common amaranth is represented by more than sixty species. There are annual and perennial crops that are resistant to even the most severe frosts and resistant to any pest. Growing a plant is simple and not troublesome. With such a great variety of varieties and types, you can get confused and purchase fodder or vegetable, instead of decorative. What varieties are the most popular and in demand and in what quality.
Amaranth tailed
The representative of this variety is a rather powerful herbaceous plant, reaching a height of 1.5 m or more. It has an erect, thick stem and large leaves hanging slightly to the ground. Leaves are often purple tint, less often green. The root system is pivotal, with a long central root extending 50-70 cm deep. Such roots are given to withstand a huge bush and prevent it from breaking under its own weight and in bad weather.
At the beginning of summer, the tailed amaranth produces a peduncle resembling a long cord or tail, for which it is nicknamed tailed. Inflorescences are densely collected small flowers strung on a long peduncle. The length of one cord sometimes reaches half a meter, or even more. Depending on the variety, they have a different color.
The most common varieties of the caudate are the following.
Rothschwanz
The plant is erect, up to 70 cm high. A pair of bushes occupies a fairly large space. The leaves are light green with whitish, clearly pronounced veins, corrugated to the touch. The inflorescences are collected in a broom. In one inflorescence, up to 50 separate cords up to 30 cm long are observed. The color palette of the panicle is usually red, burgundy, with a more saturated color at the base.
Important! Individual ropes-inflorescences can hang down to the ground and even lie on it.
Grunschwarz
In terms of its botanical characteristics, it resembles the Rothschwants variety, but has bright green inflorescences. The duet will perfectly fit into the decoration of any flower bed, as they are of almost the same height and diameter. These tails or flagella are the favorite material of florists for composing winter compositions from dried flowers.
Amaranth green tails
Tall plant, up to 80 cm. A rare variety of green amaranth. All parts are green: leaves, inflorescences, flowers, stem. But it is wonderful because the length of the hanging panicles or its individual elements reaches 80 cm. It looks great as an independent planting or as a decoration for an artificial fence or as a hedge. Strong bushes will prevent any wind from getting into the garden.
Crimson beads
The meter-long stems of this variety have a red, almost crimson color, like the inflorescences, which looks spectacular in a frame of green leaves. The bush is able to grow strongly to the sides, therefore it is planted in a flower bed in the singular.
The inflorescences hang down to a length of 1 m. They are beautiful in fresh cut and can decorate any winter composition for floor vases.
Avalanche
Beautiful long purple tails can be seen from early summer to late autumn. Of interest are individual inflorescences, which are long threads with bundled flowers, strung on a peduncle like beads. The Avalanche variety loves space and an abundance of light.
Green torch
An annual herb up to 40 cm high. It has green, ovoid leaves and an erect, powerful stem. Heat-loving amaranth is poorly resistant to low temperatures. Flowering can be observed from June until frost, when it dies.
The inflorescences or tails grow upward, rather than drooping, as is customary for the caudate amaranth. Panicles are represented by separate thickened peduncles. The color is bright green.
Dreadlocks
This amaranth variety is perhaps the most bizarre. It can be classified as paniculate and tailed. Of interest is the panicle inflorescence. Some of its flagella resemble dreadlocks, African hairstyle. Balls of small burgundy flowers are strung on a thin pedicel. And in combination with bright greenery, the plant will not leave any grower aside.
Amaranth tricolor and bicolor
Special types of annual amaranth are two- and three-color. These varieties are appreciated by gardeners not for flowering, like the previous representative, but for an interesting color of the leaves, which combines two or more contrasting colors at once. Moreover, different shades prevail at once on the same root.
Leaves are elongated, can be wavy, are red, yellow and green at the same time. These varieties usually belong to the average height of the varieties, reaching 60-70 cm, but there are specimens with a height of 1.5 m.
Illuminations
The most attractive variety is Illumination (Illumination). He is perhaps the most favorite among flower growers. The decorative effect is created by the play of colors on one leaf. Red, yellow, green shades of one leaf blade, as if someone spilled three bottles of paints at once.
The height does not exceed 70 cm, the shape is pyramidal, that is, at the base it is widened and narrowed upwards. Colored petal leaves appear on young shoots. At the beginning of summer, they are less bright, and by autumn their pigment increases, and they acquire an almost red-orange shade.
Glamorous shine
Amaranth height is no more than half a meter. The plant has a compact bush with large leaves. The lower leaves are dark green with a burgundy border. The top of the amaranth is painted in bright burgundy tones without greenery, which makes the flower look elegant and solemn.
Molten fire
A bicolor amaranth with a decent size. The height of the bush can be up to 80 cm. The lower part of the foliage is colored brown, closer to chocolate color, and this composition is crowned with scarlet leaves. The leaves at the top are long and slightly wavy edges.
Airlie splender
Amaranth Earley splender belongs to the genus of annuals. The thickened stems create a bush more than 1 m high. The two-tone color plays with tones of burgundy and crimson, with which the upper leaves are painted, rather long, wriggling like snakes. The lower rows of foliage have a maroon color with a bronze tint.
In the landscape, it is used as a central plant in any flower beds or in combination with petunias. Thick foliage is observed down to the ground.
Aurora
Bicolor Aurora grows up to 1.2 m in height. The composition of yellow and green leaves will perfectly fit into any flower garden. The leaves are oblong, slightly wavy. The lower foliage is dark green, but the upper one is significantly different and presents a delicate sunny bouquet of yellow or cream tones. Looks great in combination with Earley Splender or Molten Fire.
Splendens perfect
Pyramidal amaranth 1.2 m high. For this representative of the tricolor, freedom is required to show itself in all its glory. Amaranth is valued for narrow leaves on long petioles. The lower layer of foliage is dark green with black spots, the top is presented in the form of an accumulation of variegated, yellow-red leaves. The foliage looks elegant until late autumn.
Molten Fire
The original variety, in which the color of the lower layers is painted in burgundy, then smoothly turns into purple at the top. The extreme upper leaves are not completely colored in light colors, but only half.
Bicolor
The amaranth is slightly more than 80 cm high and has a pyramidal structure. The foliage is green below, dimmer than the one passing to the top. A cluster of bright scarlet elongated, wavy leaves prevails on the crown. Looks most elegant in sunny areas.
Amaranth paniculata
The people call this type of amaranth crimson. It differs significantly from its counterparts: tailed and multi-colored amaranth. It has an erect stem with a large number of side shoots, which makes it take up a lot of space in the garden.
The inflorescence is presented in the form of a panicle, but erect. Only in some varieties does the panicle droop down due to its weight. Amaranth grows from 35 cm to 150 cm. Depending on this, low, medium and tall plants are distinguished.
Varieties of panicle amaranth.
Oeshberg
A tall panicled amaranth of German breeding, reaching a height of 1 m. The bush is simply huge, so it does not look in combination with other varieties, it is better to grow as a single decoration. The leaves are dark green, through them erect panicles with densely stuffed peduncles are visible. The flowers are almost burgundy, when illuminated they become more saturated colors.
Twins
Amaranth of this variety comes with green and burgundy inflorescences. Interesting in the shape of the peduncle. In the panicle itself, the central peduncle stands out significantly against the background of the lateral ones, reaching 30-40 cm, while the lateral ones are 5-10 cm. Small flowers are located very closely to each other on the peduncles. The central branch is up to 7 cm in diameter.
The panicle is erect, on a high, up to 80 cm, bush. Large green leaves. The bush has a thickened stem to support a sufficiently branchy plant.
Bronze
A giant plant, up to 2 m. Erect thick stem densely endowed with large green leaves. Gorgeous panicles rise through them. Long bloom, from June to frost. A gorgeous sight when an ear peeps out from under the snow.
We love it by flower growers in group flower beds, as well as in cutting. It is enough to add a couple of other flowers, and the bouquet is ready. The plant is unpretentious in care, loves space and an abundance of light, which makes it seem golden.
Openwork
This variety of paniculate amaranth is similar to the Bronze variety. It has an erect stem up to 1.2 m in height, strong lateral shoots, green leaves and bronze-colored panicle inflorescences.
Red cathedral
Tall amaranth, reaching more than 1.2 m. The leaves are bright green, against which beautiful burgundy paniculate inflorescences grow upward. This variety has a long flowering period. It is grown by seeds in the ground or through seedlings.
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age variety outwardly resembles Openwork and Bronze, but the color palette of the panicle is somewhat different. In fact, it is bronze, and in the sunlight it becomes more saturated in color.
Red torch
Amaranth height is 40 cm. The trunk is rather thick with powerful lateral branches. The inflorescence is collected in the center and is the end of the apex. The panicle is burgundy. Amaranth is thermophilic, does not tolerate even small frosts. Fits beautifully on flower beds with undersized flowers.
Amaranth feed
Tallness, strong splendor, an abundance of green mass, huge inflorescences, such a feature cannot be missed by livestock breeders. Amaranths are grown for the preparation of poultry feed mixtures and for silage to livestock. The harvest of fodder amaranth will always be born, and the minimum financial costs make this plant in demand in animal husbandry. The varieties bred today are characterized by unpretentious care and high yields.
Kinelsky 254
This variety is a product of the Konstantinov Volga NIISS. The growing season lasts 100 days. Plant height up to 1.6 m. Has a panicle inflorescence up to 60 cm long. The variety is drought and frost resistant. Shoots are slightly leafy. The yield of green mass is up to 30 tons per hectare in dry weather and up to 70 tons in favorable conditions. The seeds are used to make medicinal oil.
Giant
A fodder variety included in the State Register of the Russian Federation. The bush has dark green foliage and yellow, rarely red panicle inflorescence. The size of the panicle can be described as it does not fit into both hands, the length of the inflorescence is up to 42 cm. The bushiness and juiciness of the aboveground part is abundant, which is used in animal husbandry to prepare silage for livestock feed. The yield of amaranth Gigant is 15-20 t / ha. Plant height reaches almost 2 m.
Lera
Fodder amaranth. Height reaches 2.2 m. Ripening is average, up to 105 days. The stem and leaves are green, the latter have red streaks, a red panicle, the length of which is up to 54 cm. It is used for preparing silage, since the green mass is juicy and nutritious, enriched with protein necessary for cattle.
Kharkiv-1
This variety is intended not only for feed to livestock and poultry, but also for medicinal purposes and as a grain. The growing season is 110 days. Productivity up to 20 t / ha. The leaves are used to prepare feed granules, grass flour and cake. Plant more than 2 m, with a bright green panicle. The green mass of amaranth is abundant and juicy. The bush has a large number of shoots, which makes planting at a distance of 70 cm from each other.
Aztec
The variety of fodder amaranth is predominantly red, from foliage and stems to inflorescence. The ripening period is 110 days. One and a half meter amaranth has panicle inflorescences reaching 50 cm in length. It has a large yield of greens for feed and a feed unit content of 1 kg of dry matter.
Kizlyarets
A variety of green amaranth suitable for forage purposes. Starting from the sixtieth day of growing season, you can start harvesting for silage. The stem reaches a height of 1.6 m, this is not the limit, but it is valued not for its growth, but for the presence of a rich green mass. Unpretentious in care, resistant to diseases and pests. Productivity from 1 hectare - up to 50 tons.
Cherry jam
It is known as fodder, medicinal and food amaranth. A low-growing (75 cm) herbaceous plant, under favorable growing conditions can be perennial. Has long drooping inflorescences of cherry-colored panicles and green leaves. Productivity 40 t / ha.
Amaranth dark (sad)
The height of the plant can be up to 1.5 m. The bush is unbranched, the leaves are oblong, lanceolate, purple or purple-green.The inflorescence grows vertically, resembles an ear or panicle of burgundy, almost black.
A variety is known with bloody drooping inflorescences. The most popular varieties are: Pigmy Torch, Green Tamb. These are low-growing varieties of sad amaranth, their height is from 40 to 60 cm. They are used for bouquet cutting.
Amaranth white - white squid
A low-growing shrub that grows up to half a meter. It got its name because of the light tones of green, almost white, leaves and stems. Interesting inflorescences in the form of separate bundles, very long and white. Several flagella fold into heavy clusters, which hang down to the ground under their weight. It is actively cultivated in European countries, where it comes from.
Amaranth Red - Amaranthus Red
Truly, it justifies its second name - "red leaf". The plant is completely red, only the stem and leaves of one shade, but the inflorescences of another. Amaranth grows up to 2 m. The stem is thick, you can't break it just like that, without using force. It is given to the plant as a support, since the bush is powerful and highly leafy.
The inflorescence is presented in the form of a large panicle of a dark scarlet, almost bloody color. The plant is unpretentious, it can grow on any soil. And what is interesting, some farms are raised not for decoration and for livestock feed, but to protect soil from water and wind erosion.
Amaranth thrown back or spiky - Amaranthus retroflexus
They are nothing more than garden "soldiers" met as a weed. It grows up to 1.5 m and has many side shoots. The root system is pink. It grows strongly in different directions, hindering the growth of grass and cultivated plants.
Color - an ear of small green flowers with a predominance of gray or yellow. As the ear ripens, it becomes prickly. The seed material is rather small, resembling black beads.
Types of decorative amaranths
All the varieties of amaranth presented above are undoubtedly beautiful and will decorate any flower bed, but other varieties have also been bred by breeders for decorative purposes.
Cherry velvet
A low-growing amaranth of red color, from the lower leaves to the top. Growth is 60 cm, inflorescences are scattered ears, openwork lace. Some plants are almost purple in color. We can say that Red Velvet is a cultivated plant, as it loves loose and fertile soils and a lot of light. Freezes at low frosts.
Amaranth vegetable
It is rather a group of amaranths, which are used not only to decorate the landscape, but also for food. Inflorescences and leaves, which are used in cooking and folk medicine, are edible. A rich composition of vitamins and minerals, protein, that is what distinguishes vegetable varieties from decorative ones. Today, the following varieties are considered famous: Valentina, Krepysh, White Leaf and Opopeo.
Indoor amaranth
Any of the presented amaranths can be grown at home. Of course, they will be miniatures of their fellows in the open field. Usually, low-growing varieties are used for indoor maintenance: Rother Dam, Rother Paris, Zwegfakel, Grunefakel and Hot Biscuit. The living conditions are similar to those of indoor plants.
How to plant and grow a flower in the garden
Difficulties arise at first. Young seedlings grow slowly. But it is enough to provide an abundance of sun, warmth and the necessary humidity, the plant is rapidly gaining momentum. And now a small sprout turns into a gorgeous tree bush.
Agricultural technology also does not take much time and effort, since in the open field amaranth is unpretentious, drought-resistant and only occasionally requires attention.
Landing methods and technology
You should not dwell on the choice of soil, since many types of decorative amaranths, usually tall tailed, paniculate and spike-shaped, can grow on any land: clay, sand and even crushed stone.
There are only two planting methods: by seeds and through seedlings. Each has its own nuances, but does not present any particular difficulties.
Seeds
If amaranth was already grown on the site in the previous year, then most likely the next season shoots will sprout at this place, since the seeds have excellent germination and they do not cost anything to overwinter. Such sprouts can be transplanted into the right place and provide them with proper care.
If amaranth is planted for the first time, then you need to stock up on seeds in advance and start working. Sowing begins in May, when the soil has warmed up, and constantly warm day and night temperatures of up to +6 degrees are established outside.
A place is chosen where a huge bush or a miniature bicolor will show off in the future. Small holes are made in the soil, up to about 1-2 cm deep, carefully shed and spread the seeds.
The planting scheme depends on the purpose of the cultivation. If decoration is needed, then it is better to provide future seedlings with space and plant them at a distance of 70-90 cm from each other, if for culinary purposes, planting is better to thicken. In this case, the amaranth will grow greens and bloom late.
Amaranth has rather small seeds, so when sowing they are mixed with sand, but this technique will not allow you to get rare seedlings, so it would be better to thin them out. Seedlings sown outdoors will appear in a week.
Seedlings
Seedlings start planting in March - mid-April. Any loose soil is poured into an ordinary seedling box, slightly compacting it. Seed material is distributed from above. Sprinkle the seeds with a thin layer of earth. Cover with foil or glass and put away in a dark and warm place.
When the seeds hatch out, the box is placed on the windowsill, and the shelter is removed. Usually, the first greens appear on the 7-12th day. When the first pair of leaves appears, the seedlings are dived and planted in separate containers. For them, it is enough to provide light and regular watering. From mid-May, the pots are put outside to harden and get used to the sun's rays. And at the end of May they are planted in a permanent place.
Before planting, mineral fertilizers are applied to the soil: 20 g of nitroammofoska per 1 square meter.
How to care for your culture
It is necessary to monitor the condition of the seedlings in the first months, so you need to visit the country more often. Due to the slow growth, seedlings can be oppressed by weeds. Timely weeding will provide them with freedom, light and oxygen.
Outdoor care consists in performing the following agrotechnical techniques:
- At the beginning of summer, flower beds with amaranth should be mulched so that moisture remains in the soil. Mowed and chopped grass is used as mulch.
- Young amaranths need sufficient moisture, so they are watered several times a week in dry weather. After the plant begins to grow, watering is reduced.
- In the first month, the plants can be fed with mullein infusion in a ratio of 1 to 5 or wood ash. Amaranth is responsive to green fertilizer. Complementary foods should be applied in the morning, on wet soil.
- From the second month, amaranth starts growing. Now he does not need weeding, since weeds are suppressed under his crown, but watering still needs to be continued and the soil must not dry out.
When the plant reaches a height of 25-30 cm, it is harvested for greenery. Otherwise, the amaranth remains in the garden for decoration.
Reproduction methods
All species of amateurs reproduce from seeds. The collection of seeds begins in the fall, when the lower leaves crumble, and the panicle begins to dry out slightly. It is important not to miss the moment, as the seeds quickly fall to the soil. It is better to cut off an unripe panicle and determine for ripening in a ventilated room.
After a few days, rub the flowers with your hands over a white cloth or paper, and then pour the seeds into a small storage container. Amaranth is beautiful, unpretentious, huge, magnificent, useful, and these are not all advantages.
