Leaf
Yoan Martin, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Love-lies-bleeding
Amaranthus caudatus L.
Also known as: Tassel flower, Foxtail amaranth
Family: Amaranthaceae
1 to 1.5 m tall
Grown in borders and sometimes in the vegetable garden, rich soils
Flowering: July – October
Full sun
Not hardy, annual plant sown every year
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Love-lies-bleeding was a sacred grain for the Aztec and Inca civilisations, grown for its tiny protein-rich seeds — today, in France, it is mainly planted for its long, spectacular, drooping red flower spikes.
🍃 Leaves
Large, ovate, often tinged with red or purple
🌸 Flowers
Tiny, dark red, grouped in long, spectacular, hanging and drooping spikes
🍎 Fruits
Tiny black or white seed depending on the variety, edible
🪵 Bark
Herbaceous annual with an upright, often branched stem.
🗺️ Distribution
Native to South America; grown in France as an ornamental and sometimes as a vegetable
🐝 Value for pollinators
The flower clusters may be visited by various pollinating insects.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Spectacular annual with long drooping spikes, grown as an ornamental, also as a grain crop (amaranth grain) and a leaf vegetable in some cultures
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Leaves and seeds edible; no known toxicity
🌿 Other Amaranthaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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