propagating Gomphrena Amaranth

I bought this beautiful purple flowering plant and would like to plant a hole border of it but it doesn't seem to have seeds. Can anyone help me out?

Sal

Hi Sal,

I'm rather new, but I've traded and received a few seeds of different types of globe amaranth. The bracts (the purple part) are actually the seeds. The flowers are teeny tiny. Anyway, just save the purple parts. They come off in little petal-like forms and you can feel the little seed inside. Sometimes the seed isn't very thick. I can try to post a picture tomorrow if you still need assistance in saving the seed. I read that the germination rate on these is spotty, so I'm planning to sow thickly when I plant my seeds.

Hope this helps :)

~Sunny

Roose ~ as the plants ages, the blooms turn from the color to a grayish white. When the bloom fades, you can pick the whole flower head and save seeds. That is how I got my first start of these. From an old man who grows a row down his driveway. He brought me a grocery sack full of stems and seeds. They are pretty and easy and available in many colors. This is not a great photo but hopefully you can see some of the blooms turning white. Those will be ready to reseed. I keep it in a pot and many volunteers will come up in the pot and around it...

Hiya podster - does that mean the ones that people have sent to me with color on them are not viable seed? Most of what I have been sent in trades still retains the color of the bracts (pink, purple, white). I've taken both types apart and both seem to have fully developed seed in most parts(colored and white parts like you show above) I appreciate the clarification so I don't plant a whole slew of non-seeds...LOL! Or run around giving bad advice!

Thankies,
~Sunny

Sunny, I don't truly know but suspect that they will be viable. These blooms start early and stay all summer long with little care only water. I feel the seed will produce and develop early. Years ago, when I was given a sack of them, many still showed their original color. This older man wouldn't harvest seed till a frost and I remember his blooming all summer long. They will retain color well for dried bouquets also... pod

thanks guys, i really appreciate your input. mine are a very bright burgandy(almost purple), and they are really eye catching. at the time that i bought them, i couldn't walk away from them. they were well worth the five dollars. but, hey now i have a gazillion seeds. i just hope they take. would any of you be interested in trading seeds of different colors? let me know.

Sal

Sal ~ I've always heard you only have to buy a plant once. You will have seeds or cuttings and never need another one like that... It is true with this one. A lady down the road has these from white to mauve to purple. I have always wanted to stop and beg seeds but she is a "gardener" and I know I will be there for the day. Never have that much spare time. I will have some fresh seeds from this one in the next month or two. I think this is 'strawberry fields'. The photo makes the color look far more intense than it is. In this climate it almost seems orange, maybe faded from our sun. If you would like some seeds, dmail me...

Some of them do not lose all their color. Each little petal is the seed.