Prince's Feather
1 entry found.
Prince's Feather
Common Name: Purple Amaranthus, Red Cathedral, Prince's Feather
Botanical Name: Amaranthus cruentus (am-a-RAN-thus crew-EN-tus)
Decorative Life: About 7-10 days.
Post Harvest Care:
- Remove bottom leaves if present, recut stems under water and place into a fresh flower food solution.
Family Roots:
- Member of the Amaranthaceae (amaranth family).
- Native of the Americas.
- Related species include celosia, globe-amaranth and blood-leaf.
Personality:
- Many small flowers occur in erect, plume-like clusters.
- Stems leafy, 2-3 feet long.
- Plant is an annual and classified as a dicotyledon.
Availability: Summer.
Flower Color: Red, purple, yellow.
Tidbits:
- Amaranthus is Greek for unfading, in allusion to the unwithering bracts. Bracts are modified leaves generally associated with flowers and often confused with petals.
- Also known as tassel-flower. The specific epithet name of cruentus means bloody, possibly in reference to red colored flowers.
- Many members of the amaranth family are considered weeds such as pigweed, tumbleweed and water hemp.
- Foliage can be colorful, good as dried flower.
- Commonly grown in the garden.