Appearance

Growth form

This upright annual is usually 6–24 in (15–60 cm) tall and forms a compact clump.

Leaves

The opposite leaves are simple, softly hairy, and oval to oblong, reaching about 2–4 in (5–10 cm) long.

Flowers

The colorful, papery bracts form round heads around tiny white or yellow true flowers. Cultivars offer purple, pink, white, and bicolored heads.

Flowering time

In North Carolina it blooms from June until the first fall frost.

Fruit

Each tiny, dry fruit usually holds one seed.

Look-alikes

red cloverTrifolium pratense

Red clover has three leaflets, often with a pale V-shaped mark on each leaflet, and many narrow tubular flowers spread from the head. Globe amaranth has single opposite leaves and a stiff, papery head.

Why they get mixed up · Both can have rounded pink-purple flower heads.

common zinniaZinnia elegans

Common zinnia has broad petal-like parts that make a daisy-shaped head, often much larger than a globe amaranth head. Globe amaranth forms a tight ball of small papery bracts without spreading petals.

Why they get mixed up · Both are colorful summer annuals used in beds and bouquets.

Where it lives

Typical habitats

• sunny flower beds
• containers
• cutting gardens

Range

It is native from Mexico through tropical South America. It is grown across the United States as a summer annual, and introduced populations are recorded in several states, including Texas and New York.

Preferred conditions

Full sun and well-drained soil give the best growth. Established plants tolerate heat and short dry spells, but young plants grow best with steady moisture. In USDA zones 9–11 it may persist as a perennial.

Flowering

Flowers Jun–Oct

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Flowers

Flowers Jun–Oct

Growing it

Propagation

Grow it from seed, either started indoors 6–8 weeks before the last frost or sown outdoors after cold weather has passed.

Connected species

Pollinators

The flower heads attract bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects.

Pollinators

• beesAnthophila

  Bees visit the flower heads as pollinators in U.S. gardens.

• butterfliesPapilionoidea

  Butterflies visit the flower heads as pollinators in U.S. gardens.

Name and classification

Varieties and forms

Some dwarf garden selections stay about 6 in (15 cm) tall.

Conservation

IUCN Red List

NENot Evaluated·Not yet assessed