Plant · P-707

Love Lies Bleeding

Amaranthus caudatus

Love Lies Bleeding is an amaranth grown for its edible leaves and its grain, with tassel-like flower spikes that droop long and deep red instead of standing upright. The leaves cook like spinach, and the seed is unusually rich in lysine along with calcium, iron and zinc, making it a genuine grain rather than a garnish. It grows fast in full sun on fertile, well-drained soil, tolerates heat and drought once established, and self-sows so freely that a stand needs cutting before seed set to stay in bounds. One surprise: the raw grain has killed pigs that ate it for weeks, so it should never go into a pig's diet and needs heat treatment before it goes to poultry.