The illustrated growing guide
Globe Amaranth
Gomphrena globosa
Family Amaranthaceae
Grown as an annual
A heat-proof, no-fuss annual smothered all summer in papery clover-shaped globes that never fade — feeding butterflies and bees and doubling as the best 'everlasting' flower for drying (cut them and the color holds for years). It shrugs off the heat and drought that melt other bedding flowers, staying tidy and colorful right up to frost.
Full Sun
Low water
Moderate growth
Attracts butterflies
Attracts bees
None winter chill
From the print shop
Growing globe amaranth? Hang it.
Our Herbarium collection carries globe amaranth — Gomphrena globosa, print Nº 3, “Globe Amaranth.”
16 designsfrom $21.99white or black groundmatte poster, unframed
I
Overview
Will globe amaranth suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what globe amaranth actually needs.
Life cycleAnnualGlobe Amaranth at a glance
Common globe amaranth problems
- Almost none
- Almost none
II
Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow globe amaranth: light, water & soil
How to plant & propagate globe amaranth
III
The year
What globe amaranth asks for, month by month.
The globe amaranth year, month by month
BloomWhat each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
The globe amaranth year as text
- Jan quiet month
- Feb quiet month
- Mar quiet month
- Apr quiet month
- May quiet month
- Jun bloom
- Jul bloom
- Aug bloom
- Sep quiet month
- Oct quiet month
- Nov quiet month
- Dec quiet month
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
IV
Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Globe Amaranth in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer annual
- Nectary/insectary
What globe amaranth is grown for
✓ Commonly eatenflowers used in a folk tea
Harvesting & storing globe amaranth
Excellent EVERLASTING dried flower (holds color perfectly); edible flowers used in a traditional tea. About 85-100 days from planting.
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
V
Cultivars
Named varieties of globe amaranth, ruled as a catalogue.
Best globe amaranth varieties & cultivars
'Strawberry Fields' (red-orange); 'Fireworks' (tall pink); 'Buddy' series (dwarf); 'QIS' (cutting)
VI
Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to globe amaranthyet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
VII
Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
VIII
Questions
Globe Amaranth questions, answered straight.
Is globe amaranth safe for kids and pets?
Globe Amaranth is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. One caveat on this one: flowers used in a folk tea. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
When do you harvest globe amaranth?
Excellent EVERLASTING dried flower (holds color perfectly); edible flowers used in a traditional tea. From planting, expect about 85-100 days to maturity.
How do you propagate globe amaranth?
From seed.
IX
Elsewhere
Where globe amaranth sits in the library.
Sunflower
Zinnia
Peony
Daylily