Amaranthus opopeo

I planted Amaranthus opopeo and thought about planting them in the front yard in a triangle bed near the driveway. This area needs heigth and the maroon color will be perfect. Does anyone have info on this plant and how well it would do for a front yard area? Or should I keep it in the back border in my back yard?

The flowers appear so beautiful but I don't want something that will become shabby looking. I thought about white lantana around the base to add medium height and contrast....suggestions?
Kathy

shihtzumom, I just looked up this plant. It says that it will get 3-5' high. I don't know how large this triangle bed is in front, and it depends on what kind of look you are going for. If it is a smaller bed, I think the amaranthus might be too big because you will probably have to do a 3 levels (tiers) bed in order to make that 3-5' come down to the ground. In other words, you put the 3-5' in the back, then a 1-2' in front and then a lower one in the very front. That is how I would do it. I would also bring the 1-2' (closer to 2'-like a sun coleus) around the sides of the amaranthus as well as in front.
The trailing white lantana ( I assume thats what you mean) is not going to give you the height that I think you want, and its really kind of wispy looking, I like it, but more trailing over the edge of something-I love the lavendar lantana as well-grows exactly like the white. I think you are looking for more upright plants here-but maybe not lol hope this helps

You're right about the lantana. This is a 5 ft triangle. One corner has a mid-size tree at it's point and I have small grass on 2 sides of the triangle. What I thought about doing is putting 1 opopeo in the center, then add tall marigolds or something that is 18-20 inches like you said, then ? the grass will support 2 sides and I have enought divided to make it all 3 sides.

The lantana did so well there last year but like you said - it's not tall enought. This spot gets all day sun with only small spots of shade from the tree.

I really need something that will pop! Any other ideas?

I would do yellow lantana instead of marigolds, they behave better and you can always trim them back. I would do a few of the amaranthus if you do any-in the center/back.
This is not a big bed for such a such a large/dark plant. Personally I would leave it in the back with something bright in front of it, and do the yellow lantana with sun coleus and maybe some begonias in front, or to the sides. Maybe some angelonia in there for something spiky.

Picture of the triangle

As you can see the triangle isn't much but it's a small yard.

is the triangle bed at the bottom lefthand corner by the sidewalk and where the tulips are? If so, I think you need to rethink what you are putting in there.
I would absolutely get some big pots (of any kind ) for your entrance-the walkway etc. and maybe a lowlying bed along the outside of the walkway about 4-5 ft wide and along the length of the walkway. Real potential here!!

It's to the top right. There's grasses starting to appear there and it has a tree in the top left corner of the triangle. The driveway is the top side of the triangle

I have pots prepared in the back but since I'm not out of the frost time I needed to hold off moving those heavy guys around front. As for the walkway - my entire front yard in only 18' maybe to the road. So I think a 4-5' bed along the walk is a bit much -don't you?

Sorryr Shihtzumom, lost the pic for a few days. I see the bed now, although do you plant flowers in what I thought was the bed-good place and would balance out the other bed.
The bed you are talking about is what we, in the industry, call a 4 sided bed, you can see it from all 4 sides. So, generally you put the tallest plant in the center and then you can see all the flowers from every direction. So, even though the bed is smallish for such a tall plant (and out of proportion to the size of the house, yard and bed) if you want to use the amaranthus, I would say plant it in the center and plant around it with other flowers. On the bed i thought was the bed, you could plant some of whatever you chose to go around the amaranthus to stay lower and sort of match the bed by the driveway. Have you ever used red salvia? It is a great plant that blooms heavily-esp if deadheaded every week ( takes two seconds) it would really make a statement with the yellow lantana-put it in the center-get the tall variety (splendens flare-grows about 2'). Would show up better than the amaranthus, which is darker.
Along the walkway-you could narrow the bed to 3' if you want a flower bed there. You have a small lawn, however wide the flower bed is, but I agree, 3' wide may be better. Color is always nice! I should disclose that I grow annuals for a living so I am always going to lean toward flower beds lol

Here's what I did last evening. The bed near the driveway, where the small grass is on 2 sides and the driveway on the other side: I put tall 30" bright yellow snap dragons in a triangle shape, leaving room for something in the middle.....not much space but.... then I put white diantus in the next layer and purple/white verbena on the 3rd outer layer.

The perennials along the walk now are dwarf Coreopsis which reach 10-12 inches. I can till up the bed and widen it if you think that will look better and add something else or a double layer of Coreopsis. Annuals would be okay but they will need to be shorter than 12" and take all day sun.

As for the area on this end of the pic where you walk on the porch(which needs painting this weekend) I have planted 3 daylily - yellow rebloomers which will pull yellow from the snap dragons. I have room there to add other items from the triangle, like verbena in purple.

Do you think the Coreopsis dwarf is okay by the sidewalk? It's such a difficult space.

You must be in the mtns?? Snaps last about until June here lol its so hot. Same with some of the dianthus-but don;t they look pretty when they bloom? The verbena sounds good-for hot or cooler weather. It will look good on the othere side too.
I think the coreopsis will do great there and it will bloom for a long time. Let it grow a week or so and see if the bed is wide enough. You can always put portulaca or purslane in front of it if you want to. They both stay low and can take a lot of sun, and don;t need a lot of water.
I do think the snaps are probably as high in that bed as you need to go.
I won;t have time to plant my beds for another month- I wish I had the time to switch them out now. I hope it all grows great!