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Jun 29, 2012 5:06 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Bob Walsh
Chicago (Zone 5a)
Happy Growing
Several years ago I discovered Amaranthus tricolor, an easy to grow annual.

Amaranthus tricolor readily grows from seeds. I start mine usually during the second half of April indoors under grow lights.

Germination only takes a couple days and the seedlings grow rather fast.

Outdoors Amaranthus tricolor enjoys full to partial sun, regular watering and a fertilizer high in Nitrogen.



Amaranthus tricolor 'Perfecta'



Amaranthus tricolor 'Illumination'
For more Information on growing Plumerias and your FREE Tropical Plant Guide, Grow Your Own Tropical Garden, visit http://www.BobWalshPlumeriaCar....
Last edited by BobWalshPlumeriaBook Jun 29, 2012 5:34 PM Icon for preview
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Jun 30, 2012 2:23 PM CST
Name: woofie
NE WA (Zone 5a)
Charter ATP Member Garden Procrastinator Greenhouse Dragonflies Plays in the sandbox I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
The WITWIT Badge I helped plan and beta test the plant database. Dog Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters Container Gardener Seed Starter
Those are interesting. What do you grow with them?
Confidence is that feeling you have right before you do something really stupid.
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Jul 3, 2012 3:29 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Bob Walsh
Chicago (Zone 5a)
Happy Growing
Hi woofie,

Coleus grows well with them.
For more Information on growing Plumerias and your FREE Tropical Plant Guide, Grow Your Own Tropical Garden, visit http://www.BobWalshPlumeriaCar....
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Jul 3, 2012 3:34 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Bob Walsh
Chicago (Zone 5a)
Happy Growing
Amaranthus tricolor 'Aurora' is starting to show color.


Amaranthus tricolor 'Aurora'
For more Information on growing Plumerias and your FREE Tropical Plant Guide, Grow Your Own Tropical Garden, visit http://www.BobWalshPlumeriaCar....
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Jul 3, 2012 5:41 PM CST
Name: woofie
NE WA (Zone 5a)
Charter ATP Member Garden Procrastinator Greenhouse Dragonflies Plays in the sandbox I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
The WITWIT Badge I helped plan and beta test the plant database. Dog Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters Container Gardener Seed Starter
How tall do they get? I grow most of my coleus in pots in a shady spot, but I can see those looking very nice with coleus! And where do you get your seeds? I might like to try those next year.
Confidence is that feeling you have right before you do something really stupid.
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Jul 3, 2012 5:55 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Bob Walsh
Chicago (Zone 5a)
Happy Growing
I grow my Amaranthus tricolor in pots, 8 to 12 inches, and they grow about 2 to 3 ft tall. Initially I got the seeds from Park Seeds. I can mail you some seeds in fall for planting next spring if you want.
For more Information on growing Plumerias and your FREE Tropical Plant Guide, Grow Your Own Tropical Garden, visit http://www.BobWalshPlumeriaCar....
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Jul 3, 2012 7:43 PM CST
Name: woofie
NE WA (Zone 5a)
Charter ATP Member Garden Procrastinator Greenhouse Dragonflies Plays in the sandbox I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
The WITWIT Badge I helped plan and beta test the plant database. Dog Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters Container Gardener Seed Starter
Ha ha, I still have a bunch of tiny seedlings waiting to be planted somewhere, so I should probably think a while before I go getting still more seeds to plant. Rolling my eyes. Got a little carried away this year. Green Grin! But thank you for the offer; got to think a bit, too about where they'd do well. Those are really interesting looking plants. I'm very glad you posted those photos. Thumbs up
Confidence is that feeling you have right before you do something really stupid.
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Jul 6, 2012 4:52 AM CST
Name: Karen
Valencia, Pa (Zone 6a)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Cut Flowers Winter Sowing Charter ATP Member Seed Starter Echinacea
Plant and/or Seed Trader Region: Ohio Region: United States of America Butterflies Hummingbirder Celebrating Gardening: 2015
When I grew these they grew to at least 4' tall in the ground.
Thumb of 2012-07-06/kqcrna/b52502 Thumb of 2012-07-06/kqcrna/b20d5d
Thumb of 2012-07-06/kqcrna/f5fa14

Karen
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Jul 6, 2012 6:32 AM CST
Name: Monica
Texas Gulf Coast (Zone 9b)
Sweat Weather, Not Sweater Weather
Foliage Fan Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Region: Gulf Coast Multi-Region Gardener Seed Starter Enjoys or suffers hot summers
Both of you have great pix of well grown plants. I'm jealous. I think I have some photos of mine dying Crying .

Several of us in this area have tried these in ground more than once and had no luck. As they're from the tropics, they should do well here, but we must be doing something wrong. Perhaps too much sun...I'll try them again next year in more shade. They are lovely plants.
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Jul 6, 2012 7:38 AM CST
Name: Karen
Valencia, Pa (Zone 6a)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Cut Flowers Winter Sowing Charter ATP Member Seed Starter Echinacea
Plant and/or Seed Trader Region: Ohio Region: United States of America Butterflies Hummingbirder Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Monica, my seeds were wintersown in milk jugs, transplanted in spring. My photos were in July. When our weather got really hot in August, they fried. I know they are supposed to like heat but mine did best with temps probably in the 80s. I grew them in 2007 which I remember well as an exceptionally hot and dry year here.

This was August
Thumb of 2012-07-06/kqcrna/20ec94

Karen
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Jul 6, 2012 6:37 PM CST
Name: Monica
Texas Gulf Coast (Zone 9b)
Sweat Weather, Not Sweater Weather
Foliage Fan Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Region: Gulf Coast Multi-Region Gardener Seed Starter Enjoys or suffers hot summers
Karen, that photo is close to mine, except mine were also laying on the ground...just pitiful. Thanks for the info. If they like the 80s, I could grow them February to May with the self-seeded larkspurs and calendulas - we can have some very strange plant combos in this neck of the woods.
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Jul 6, 2012 6:50 PM CST
Name: woofie
NE WA (Zone 5a)
Charter ATP Member Garden Procrastinator Greenhouse Dragonflies Plays in the sandbox I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
The WITWIT Badge I helped plan and beta test the plant database. Dog Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters Container Gardener Seed Starter
Hmmm, this is sounding more and more like they'd do nicely here paired with my Coleus. I have a spot that gets enough sun that the Petunias will survive, but also enough shade that my Coleus don't fry there. Only problem is that it's kind of a long, skinny space. Be nice if I could find some half-moon shaped planters; they'd be perfect there. Anyone seen anything like that?
Confidence is that feeling you have right before you do something really stupid.
Avatar for typwc
Mar 28, 2014 8:17 AM CST
Name: Karen
Baltimore, MD (Zone 7b)
Hi all, I'm reviving this thread because I purchased some 'Illumination' seeds for this year and I'm researching growing them and what companion plants to include. I really appreciate kqcrna's pictures. It seems to hard to find a picture of the whole plant in a garden bed, instead of just the beautiful top part. I was told that maroon plants will look great with 'Illumination'. What about coral? or yellow? If anyone has grown this plant can offer suggestions for plant buddies, I'd really appreciate it.

I'm definitely a little discouraged about the way the plant fizzled out in late summer. Going to have to make sure to have some annual salvia or other spectacular fall bloomer waiting in the wings. Do you think it would be possible to grow annual salvia like Salvia spectabilis 'Bonfire' directly behind the amaranth as a succession plant? Would the Salvia get enough sun? How wide is the amaranth?

Thanks!
Karen
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Mar 28, 2014 12:19 PM CST
Name: Karen
Valencia, Pa (Zone 6a)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Cut Flowers Winter Sowing Charter ATP Member Seed Starter Echinacea
Plant and/or Seed Trader Region: Ohio Region: United States of America Butterflies Hummingbirder Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Hi Karen, and Welcome!

It's hard to say what plants you might like with them. After all, it's in the eye of the beholder... I never worry much about things like colors clashing. To my eye, if it's flowers, they're pretty! Only the flower top has any real spread to speak of. For the most part they're skinny stems with a giant flower plopped on top, as you can see in my pictures above.

They're beautiful flowers, but they really didn't hold up to our summer heat very well. I never grew them again, except for a rare volunteer for a few years.

Karen
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Mar 28, 2014 1:37 PM CST
Name: Caroline Scott
Calgary (Zone 4a)
Bulbs Winter Sowing Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Peonies Lilies Charter ATP Member
Region: Canadian Enjoys or suffers cold winters Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level
I just received my Richter's order which included Amaranthus tricolor.
They call them Green Callaloo and Red Callaloo after the Caribean dishes made from these.
Thank you for reviving this thread-it tells me they might do well in our cooler zone 3 climate?
We shall see how they do here. Some call them "Summer Poinsettias".
Last edited by CarolineScott Mar 29, 2014 5:22 PM Icon for preview
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Mar 28, 2014 7:27 PM CST
Name: Karen
Valencia, Pa (Zone 6a)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Cut Flowers Winter Sowing Charter ATP Member Seed Starter Echinacea
Plant and/or Seed Trader Region: Ohio Region: United States of America Butterflies Hummingbirder Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Carolyn, most amaranthus is supposed to love hot weather. Love Lies Bleeding seemed to do well here. But the poinsettias types bit the dust when our real summer heat arrived. But it gets really, really hot and humid here. We're actually in the humid subtropical transition zone, but hotter and more humid than most people would believe for Ohio.

Karen
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Mar 28, 2014 7:44 PM CST
Name: Michele Roth
N.E. Indiana - Zone 5b, and F (Zone 9b)
I'm always on my way out the door..
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Forum moderator Garden Sages Garden Ideas: Master Level Dog Lover Cottage Gardener
Native Plants and Wildflowers Plant Identifier Organic Gardener Keeps Horses Hummingbirder Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle
My tricolor melted away in the heat as well...seemingly overnight. They had shade afternoon into the evening, so I thought they'd be okay...but, no.

It looks like they only made it till mid-July, and then they were pulled.

Thumb of 2014-03-29/chelle/74d974
Cottage Gardening

Newest Interest: Rock Gardens


Avatar for typwc
Mar 29, 2014 7:49 AM CST
Name: Karen
Baltimore, MD (Zone 7b)
Wow, I'm in 7b with intense humidity so now I'm worried that these plants won't even see July! I will definitely plan to have something planted in front of and behind it to account for its leggy look and early finish. Thanks, everyone! I'll let you know what happens this year.

Karen
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Mar 29, 2014 9:03 AM CST
Name: Karen
Valencia, Pa (Zone 6a)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Cut Flowers Winter Sowing Charter ATP Member Seed Starter Echinacea
Plant and/or Seed Trader Region: Ohio Region: United States of America Butterflies Hummingbirder Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Maybe you'll have better luck than I did. And as I mentioned above, that was 2007, an exceptionally hot year.

Karen
Avatar for typwc
Aug 1, 2014 12:03 PM CST
Name: Karen
Baltimore, MD (Zone 7b)
Both 'Perfecta' and 'Illumination' succumbed within a few weeks of transplanting to hungry bugs. Sad

But the good news is that 'Hot Biscuits' has finally grown out of its awkward adolescent stage and is its glory now!

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