Amaranthus caudatus (love-lies-bleeding, "Himogeito")

Japanese name: ヒモゲイトウ （紐鶏頭）
Scientific name: Amaranthus caudatus

[Overview]
An annual growing 70–120 cm tall.
The stem is erect, thick, and often tinged with red.
Leaves are simple and alternate, ovate, 5–10 cm long and 3–6 cm wide, and soft in texture.
The leaf margins are entire.
A spike-like inflorescence 30 cm long and 1 cm across hangs down from the stem tip.
The flowers are small, red, and densely borne.
The fruit is a utricle.

[History]
It arrived in England in 1596 and was introduced to Japan in the Edo period.

[Uses]
The seeds are eaten and also used as fodder.
The roots are used medicinally.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed.
The optimum germination temperature is 16°C at night and 26°C during the day.
It dislikes being transplanted, so either sow directly where you want it to grow and thin the seedlings, or sow in plastic pots and transplant once 3–5 true leaves have appeared.
It prefers fertile soil that is sunny and well drained.
If the conditions suit it, it is easy to grow without any special effort.
Rainfall is sufficient.
Fertilizer is not particularly necessary.
As the plant grows taller it falls over easily, so set up stakes.
There are no particular pests or diseases, but growing it repeatedly in the same place makes damping-off more likely.

View this page in Japanese (日本語)