Botanical Interests
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Product Details
Product Details
This amaranth has nutritious, flavorful foliage with a hearty spinach flavor that is sweet and slightly tangy. Amaranth loves the heat and is drought tolerant once established. It makes a great salad ingredient after spring greens have been harvested or are bolting. Steam, stir-fry, saute, or mix with spaghetti sauce, rice, or meatloaf. Easy to harvest, the seed is about 13% protein-higher than most other grains. 90-110 days to maturity if grown for seeds.
Your hardiness zone is
- Variety Info
- Sowing Info
- Growing Info
Variety Info
Days to Maturity: 40–63 days
Family: Amaranthaceae
Native: Asia
Hardiness: Frost-sensitive annual
Exposure: Full sun
Plant Dimensions: 12"–24" tall; varieties grown for grain can get 3' or more.
Variety Info: Medium green oval leaves with burgundy red stems and centers. Looks a bit like coleus.
Attributes: Heat Tolerant, Frost Sensitive
Sowing Info
When to Sow Outside: RECOMMENDED. 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date; however, grows fastest when temperatures are warm. Soil temperature for germination should be at least 55°F, ideally 68°–75°F.
When to Start Inside: 6 to 8 weeks before your average last frost date. Sow in biodegradable pots; roots sensitive to disturbance.
Sprouts in: 5 – 15 days
Plant Seeds (Depth): 1/8"-1/4"
Space Seeds: A group of 3 seeds every 6"
Row Spacing: 12"
Thinning: When 1" tall, thin to 1 every 6"
Growing Info
Harvesting: FOLIAGE: Young leaves have a milder flavor than mature leaves. However, leaves are edible before plant blooms, between 7 and 9 weeks. The iron content of the plant doubles between the 7th and 9th week. SEED: Wait until seeds are mature and dry. Pull up plant and hang upside down in a warm, dry place; when completely dry, shake seed heads into paper bag. Seeds should be stored in an airtight container. One square yard of amaranth can produce 2 pounds of seed!
- Rowan L.NJ, United StatesVerified ReviewerRated 5 out of 5 starsAug 18, 2026Great summer spinach
Planted in July in full sun, they sprouted fast, beat the heat, and provided a harvest in 8 weeks. Can't ask better than that! And no insect damage. I plan to plant these again next year so I would love to get some advice on how early I can sow, that is, what soil temp I should wait for.
Which best describes you as a gardener? IntermediateWho do you grow for? Community GardenHow do you prefer to grow? Raised BedEGEpic GardeningAug 19, 2026Hey Rowan,
We're so stoked to hear that your Edible Red Leaf Amaranth Seeds have been such a fantastic success! It's awesome that they sprouted fast, handled that July heat so well, and gave you a great harvest in just 8 weeks with no insect damage. That's exactly what we love to see!
The soil temperature (not air temp, but soil temp) for germination should be at least 55°F, ideally 68°–75°F, for direct-sown seeds to germinate. We prefer direct-sowing these into the garden.
In addition, the nighttime air temperatures should be steadily above 50°F. As it's a warm-weather crop, it's best to wait until all danger of spring frost has fully passed, because it will struggle at air temperatures lower than 50.
Unfortunately, we don't know the exact timing of when your nighttime temps will stay over 50, but we do know that on average, there's only a 10% chance of a 32°F frost incident remaining by April 27th. It's a 50% chance on April 11th in your zip code, meaning there's still a 50/50 chance of frost at that time. We suggest waiting until the first week of May to be totally safe, and ideally monitor the weather to see if the nighttime temps stay above 50°F before planting -- or provide some sort of row cover to help insulate the plant from any cooler temps.
If you want to get a jump on the timing, this can be started indoors 6-8 weeks before the average last frost date (which we usually define as a 50% chance of a 32°F frost incident, aka April 11th in your zip code). However, we recommend sowing these in biodegradable pots or handling the transplants carefully, as amaranth can be sensitive to transplant shock, and this isn't our preferred method; it generally does best if direct-sown.
We hope this information is helpful. Thanks so much for being part of the growing community! Keep on growing 🌻
- Phoenix O.Verified BuyerRated 4 out of 5 starsAug 11, 2026Great seeds 4 stars
About half of the seeds sprouted after more or less a week. The seedlings are thriving and have a few true leaves. The leaves look just like they do in the illustration. Im looking forward to using the leaves in the kitchen.
Which best describes you as a gardener? IntermediateEGEpic GardeningAug 11, 2026Hey Phoenix,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts in a review. We're thrilled to hear that your Edible Red Leaf Amaranth seedlings are thriving and developing those true leaves! It's awesome that they're looking just like the illustration and that you're excited to start using them in the kitchen. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we're committed to ensuring your experience is positive. Thanks again for your input. Keep on growing 🌻
- uma s.Rated 1 out of 5 starsAug 4, 2026Did not sprout
These seeds did not sprout at all. I planted in a new bed.
Which best describes you as a gardener? IntermediateEGEpic GardeningAug 5, 2026Hey Uma,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts in a review. I've reached out to you via email to offer assistance. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we are committed to ensuring your experience is positive. Thank you once again for your input. Keep on growing 🌻️
- UmaVerified BuyerRated 1 out of 5 starsAug 2, 2026Poor germination
I bought seeds with high hope but nothing sprouted for me. I was very disappointed.
Which best describes you as a gardener? IntermediateEGEpic GardeningAug 4, 2026Hey Ulma,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts in a review. I've reached out to you via email to offer assistance. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we are committed to ensuring your experience is positive. Thank you once again for your input. Keep on growing 🌻️
- Laura F.CA, United StatesVerified ReviewerRated 1 out of 5 starsJul 25, 2026Unsuccessful crop for me
Very few germinated, and the few that sprouted did not thrive. I planted them next to lettuce and spinach, in a bed that is protected from the critters, and reseeded several times, but no luck! We live in east San Diego County
Which best describes you as a gardener? IntermediateWho do you grow for? FamiliesHow do you prefer to grow? Raised BedEGEpic GardeningJul 28, 2026Hey Laura,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts in a review. I've reached out to you via email to offer assistance. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we are committed to ensuring your experience is positive. Thank you once again for your input. Keep on growing 🌻️
