How to Plant, Grow, and Care for ‘Hopi Red Dye’ Amaranth
Amaranth defies categorization! It grows edible seeds and leaves, and the ‘Hopi Red Dye’ variety sprouts purple flowers that you can make a natural dye out of. Learn how to cultivate easy-growing amaranth with this all-inclusive guide from native plant grower Jerad Bryant.
Contents
Amaranth is rare in U.S. gardens, though it shouldn’t be! It originates from the Americas, and many species grow well throughout the country. It’s an edible food crop with many uses in crafts and cuisines.
‘Hopi Red Dye’ is an heirloom amaranth with maroon leaves and brilliant red flower spikes. It’s famous for its long-time usage among the Hopi Tribe. They use the flowers to make a dye for their dishes.
This flowering annual is a stunning specimen in the garden. Use it as a decorative plant in the ornamental garden, or grow it as a crop next to your veggies and fruits. It’s versatile, easy growing, and low maintenance.
‘Hopi Red Dye’ amaranth pairs well with other colorful varieties too, filling your garden with texture.
‘Hopi Red Dye’ Amaranth Overview
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Plant Type
Annual
Family
Amaranthaceae
Genus
Amaranthus
Species
cruentus
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Native Area
Central America
Exposure
Full sun
Height
4-6’
Watering Requirements
Average
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Pests & Diseases
Beetles, webworms, lygus bugs, and fungal pathogens
Maintenance
Low
Soil Type
Well-drained
Hardiness Zone
3-11
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What Is It?
This special crop is a summer annual that prefers warm temperatures and abundant sunlight. It’s darker in color than most other amaranths, and it’s tall enough to stand out in the yard. It’s lasted for centuries because of its unique use case as an edible crop and a source of natural dye.
Native Area
‘Hopi Red Dye’ is a variety of Amaranthus cruentus, also known as the blood amaranth. It’s native to Central America and now grows on many other continents. You’ll see it pop up in fields in the summertime—look for its bright red leaves and bushy flowering plumes.
The people of the Hopi Tribe use the flower spikes to create a dye for their bread and drinks. The dye turns their bread, called “piki,” to a rich red color instead of its typical blue. The red piki has special uses in ceremonies and traditions.
Because the red piki is special, it makes sense that the source of the red dye, the amaranth plant, is a treasure as well. Without the plant, there would be no red dye!
Characteristics
One of the reddest amaranths, this variety features rich maroon-red leaves that are tender when young. As summer goes on, the seedlings reach up to six feet tall! Their central stem turns woody and thick, and they develop flower buds that turn into elegant plumes.
The flowers are stunning. The long spikes contain hundreds, if not thousands, of tiny red blossoms. They turn into small, nutritious seeds that fall off the plant when they’re ripe.
As its name suggests, this cultivar has some of the reddest blooms of any amaranth. Pair it with green foliage plants to help the flowers stand out, or grow it with other red plants like ‘Royal Purple’ smoketree and Black Lace® elderberry.
Planting
Whether you garden with a short summer or a long one, there are planting options that’ll let you grow this amaranth in your region. Start seeds outdoors if you have a long season; otherwise, consider starting seeds in pots indoors to cheat the seasons.
Growing from Seed
Amaranth seeds germinate rapidly and readily in warm weather. You may start them indoors in pots or outdoors in the ground. The seedlings have sensitive roots, so you’ll want to use biodegradable pots if you’re growing them indoors.
Sow seeds near the surface of the soil, covering them with no more than a quarter inch of dirt. Keep them moist, not soggy, while they’re germinating. After the seeds sprout, thin the seedlings so that one remains in each pot.
Before planting the seedlings outdoors, you’ll need to harden them off for a week or two. Set them on a porch or patio under dappled shade and protect them from frost or extreme heat. The plants are ready for transplanting after the hardening-off period finishes.
Transplanting
Amaranth seedlings transplant well in warm, mild weather. Wait at least a week or two after your last average frost date before moving them outdoors. Harden them off, then prepare them for transplanting.
Start by digging planting holes. Dig them as deep and twice as wide as the plants’ rootballs. Set the amaranth seedlings, with their biodegradable pots, into the holes. The pots, whether they’re made of paper or a similar organic material, will decay after planting and let the roots spread.
Cover the plants and their pots with soil until all the roots are covered. Tamp down the dirt, then water it well. If the soil sinks below the hole’s surface, add more soil until the hole is level with the surrounding soil.
How to Grow
This summer annual isn’t picky. It’ll adapt well to many soil types, and it’s drought-tolerant after it establishes in your yard. You can grow ‘Hopi Red Dye’ amaranth in raised beds, containers, or in-ground beds. No garden is too small!
Light
Grow this amaranth with full sun. Full sun equates to six or more hours of daily direct sunlight. Avoid sites with less than six hours, like partial or dappled shade. Otherwise, the amaranth will grow leggy and sparse.
When starting seeds indoors, give them plenty of light from a bright window or grow lights. Leggy seedlings will struggle after transplanting. Promote bushy, strong young plants by situating grow lights directly above them as they grow.
Water
This variety of bloody amaranth grows best with regular water during the growing season. It’ll survive in low-water conditions with minimal irrigation, though its yields will be small. Regular watering is key in promoting a healthy, productive crop.
Potted plants will need more water than those in the ground or raised beds. They may need daily watering in the middle of summer when temperatures are high and sunlight is abundant.
Soil
Well-drained, loamy soil is best for ‘Hopi Red Dye’ amaranth though this cultivar adapts to many different soil types. Use fresh potting soil when growing seedlings in containers, and amend poor soils ahead of planting outdoors.
To amend the site, add a layer of compost and lightly rake it in. It’ll decompose and improve the soil’s structure. Compost provides the ground with nutrients, boosts water retention, and improves drainage.
Fertilizing
This amaranth responds well to fertilizer, especially those rich in nitrogen. Well-rotted compost will provide plenty of nitrogen. Manure and leaf mold are also good sources of nitrogen.
Aside from organic amendments, you can also fertilize ‘Hopi Red Dye’ amaranth with a typical fertilizer. Feed your crop with a low dose of organic nitrogen fertilizer, like feather meal. One or two feedings during active growth are sufficient.
Maintenance
This amaranth is a low-maintenance annual. It may need staking or trellising in windy sites, though it’ll stand tall without support in most gardens. If you see your plants leaning, consider putting a stake or two in the ground to hold them up.
Seedlings need protection from weeds that invade the garden. The weeds can sprout quicker than the seedlings; they’ll grow tall and crowd them out. Weed the garden weekly while the plants are young to ensure they have a successful start.
Propagation
Gardeners propagate most annuals, including amaranth, by saving and sowing seeds. Seed saving is a great way to continue growing this heirloom every year. Though it’s not a popular means of propagation, you can also take cuttings from healthy plants.
Seed Saving
A single amaranth plant can produce thousands of seeds! All you need to do is collect them before they fall to the ground. They’re tiny and hard to see on the soil.
To save seeds, cut the flowering stalks after the flowers fade. Snip them right as they begin dumping seeds. Place the snipped stems upside down in a brown paper bag, and hang them to dry further.
As they dry, the seeds will fall to the bottom of the paper bag. You can shake the stalks to speed up the process. Then, siphon the seeds from the bag into a sealed container; use a paper envelope, a plastic container, or a glass jar.
Store the containers in a cool, dark, and dry location until you’re ready to use them. A fridge works well for long-term storage, while a pantry or closet will keep seeds for a year or longer.
Cuttings
It’s uncommon to take amaranth cuttings, though it’s not impossible. Maybe you want to multiply your existing crop, or you want to take cuttings to grow indoors over the winter.
Take cuttings by snipping four to six-inch portions of the stems off. Ensure each one has a leaf or two, and remove any flowers. Place the snipped stems in pots with potting soil, and water them well.
The amaranth cuttings need some care to root well. Keep them in dappled shade while they root, and provide consistent moisture. Test to see if they’ve rooted by tugging on their stems—they’ve grown roots if they resist tugging.
Harvesting and Storage
How to harvest ‘Hopi Red Dye’ amaranth depends on what part you’re harvesting! Young plants offer tender, edible leaves, while mature ones provide red flowers for dye-making. The mature flowers also grow seeds that you can eat like a grain. Amaranth isn’t a grain because it’s not a grass species; it’s called a pseudograin, instead.
Put leafy greens in containers and store them in the fridge. Place a clean rag or paper towel in the container to absorb excess moisture. Store the seeds in a glass jar or plastic container in your pantry. Cook them like quinoa, or grind them into a flour for breads and pasta.
To make a dye, let the maroon flowers soak in water overnight. Strain out the blossoms, then use the red dye to color your meals and beverages.
Common Problems
‘Hopi Red Dye’ amaranth rarely has problems with infestations or diseases. You may see an insect or two, though it’s uncommon to see pests destroying crops. Some beetles and worms may eat the flowers and young seeds.
Pests
Watch for aphids, spider mites, beetles, webworms, and lygus bugs. Spray off leaf-eating insects with a strong stream of water from a hose or handheld sprayer. Wash the plants daily for a week or two until the leaf-eaters disappear.
Webworms and flower-eating beetles are more of a nuisance than the leaf-eaters. Prevent them from getting into the blossoms by netting the flowers with a mesh bag. The mesh will keep the insects out until you’re ready to harvest the flowers.
Diseases
Watch for fungal conditions that can cause wilting and damping off. Fungal pathogens are common in wet soils where rainfall is abundant. Consider waiting to plant ‘Hopi Red Dye’ amaranth until it’s warm and dry if you’re experiencing issues with diseases.
Some fungi persist in the soil. You’ll need to starve them of food and energy. Do this by practicing crop rotation; plant seeds in a new location every two to three years.
