Amaranthus caudatus (Love Lies Bleeding) on 9-22-09. #39-8.
Love Lies Bleeding
Amaranthus caudatus
am-uh-RANTH-us kaw-DAH-tus
Synonyms of Amaranthus caudatus (19) (Updated on 11-10-23 from Plants of the World Online): Amaranthus abyssinicus L.H.Bailey, Amaranthus cararu Moq., Amaranthus alopecurus Hochst. ex A.Br. & C.D.Bouché, Amaranthus caudatus var. albiflorus Moq., Amaranthus caudatus f. alopecurus (Moq.) Thell., Amaranthus caudatus var. alopecurus Moq., Amaranthus caudatus subsp. mantegazzianus (Pass.) Hanelt, Amaranthus caudatus var. maximus (Mill.) Corrie, Amaranthus caudatus subsp. saueri V.Jehlík, Amaranthus dussii Sprenger, Amaranthus edulis Speg., Amaranthus edulis var. spadiceus Hunz., Amaranthus edulis var. typicus Hunz., Amaranthus hybridus subsp. caudatus (L.) Iamonico & Galasso, Amaranthus mantegazzianus Pass., Amaranthus maximus Mill., Amaranthus pendulinus Moq., Amaranthus pendulus Moq., Euxolus arvensis Rojas Acosta
Amaranthus caudatus L. is the accepted scientific name for this species of Amaranthus. The genus and species were first named and described as such by Carl von Linnaeus in the second volume of the first edition of Species Plantarum in 1753.
As of 11-10-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online lists 95 species in the Amaranthus genus. It is a member of the plant family Amaranthaceae with 183 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made.
THERE ARE SEVERAL LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING.
Me in the garden between the Amaranthus (Love Lies Bleeding) and the Cowhorn Okra. Both grew over 12′ tall. This photo was taken on 9-6-09 (#33-3)
I first planted seeds of ‘Love Lies Bleeding’ from seeds Suzanne bought from an Ebay seller in the spring of 2009. They grew over 12 feet tall, so I thought maybe they weren’t actually Love Lies Bleeding. All information I have found says they grow from 3-6 feet tall, depending on which website you go to. So, in the spring of 2012, I decided to try them again along with Amaranthus viridis, a green form of Love Lies Bleeding called Green Callaloo Amaranth.
Amaranthus caudatus (Love Lies Bleeding) in the mansion’s front yard in Mississippi. This one did not get as tall. This photo was taken on 10-8-12 (#120-2).
But, they again grew to almost 12 feet tall! The one I planted next to the west sunroom in the front yard didn’t grow as tall because it was transplanted late and it had more shade.
Amaranthus caudatus (Love Lies Bleeding) on 7-13-12 (#110-3).
As you can see in the above photo, the bugs, particularly Japanese Bean Beetles, love the leaves. That was OK because it kept the bugs away from the other plants
Amaranth are awesome plants to grow and the leaves and seeds are edible. The leaves are used as a spinach substitute and are very nutritious although I never ate any. The exact origin is unknown and Amaranthus species have been used as a food source in many parts of the world, especially in South America. It is believed that Amaranthus caudatus may be a wild Amaranthus hybridus aggregate.
The red color of the flowers is due to their high content of betacyannis as in the species known as “Hopi Red Dye” Amaranth. Some of my plants had pink flowers instead of red.
Plants are easy to grow from seed but need to have plenty of light so they won’t come leggy.
Someday I will try these here in mid-Missouri. I hope you enjoyed this page and maybe found it useful. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, I would like to hear from you. Please click on “like” if you visited this page. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. 🙂 You can check out the links below for further reading. The links take you directly to the genus and species of this plant.
The Belmont Rooster 
Almost 12′, WOW! Mine never got taller than 5′. Anyway, I started the seeds and the seedlings have become leggy. Now, I know one can plant tomato (and a few other types) plants deeper, up to the first leaves, but do you know if I can do this with the Amaranthus caudatus?
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Hello Cecilia! Since it is an annual, it may be possible to plant the seedlings a little deeper. Did you start them inside or outside? If you started them inside, you might want to move them outside before you transplant them to help harden them off a little before putting them into the ground. I know when I first started planting seeds in the sunroom I would move them outside for several days before I transplanted them. They seem to stretch quite a bit and can get a little weird. I think I may have planted them a little deeper because of this but I don’t remember. It has been several years. 🙂 Let me know what you do and keep me posted on their progress. Thanks for the comment and thanks for visiting.
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