Love-Lies-Bleeding Amaranth: A Trailing Beauty That Self-Seeds Every Year

Scientific Identity

This plant likely belongs to Amaranthus caudatus, also known in English as 'love-lies-bleeding', though we just call it by its Turkish name, horoz ibigi (rooster's comb), in the garden. A member of the family Amaranthaceae and an annual, this variety differs from the upright, dark magenta-plumed 'black amaranth' we wrote about earlier - instead it's known for its long, trailing, velvet-textured tassels in a deep red-magenta color, cascading down from the top of the plant like a waterfall, as seen in the photo.

Permaculture Value

This plant's most valuable trait is its ability to self-propagate: in autumn it drops its seeds into the soil, and the following spring it sprouts again entirely on its own, with no intervention needed. This is a real-world example of permaculture's 'self-sustaining systems' principle in action - no need to buy or sow seed again each year. Its flowers are a rich resource for bees and other pollinators. Its deep root structure helps loosen compacted soil, and when cut and left in place, it breaks down quickly into good green mulch material.

Medicinal/Edible Properties

Amaranth seeds are considered a gluten-free, high-protein 'pseudo-grain' - they can be cooked and eaten much like quinoa. Its young leaves can also be cooked and eaten similarly to spinach, and are used as a traditional leafy green in many cultures. With both its seeds and leaves offering practical food value, it's a genuinely versatile plant for the garden.

How to Grow

It needs full sun, tolerates poor soil, and once established is quite drought-tolerant. Because it self-seeds so abundantly, it can sometimes spread into areas of the garden where it isn't wanted - so it's worth paying attention to the seed-setting period and thinning out excess plants if needed. Waiting for the seed heads to dry before collecting them allows for both saving seed for next year and using it as a grain.

From the Garden

This plant more or less takes care of itself in the garden; every year it comes up on its own from the seeds dropped the year before, and we just watch it happen. Its long, trailing red-magenta tassels make it one of the most visually rewarding corners of the garden, especially as autumn approaches. Seeing it side by side with the upright black amaranth we wrote about earlier, it's genuinely enjoyable to see just how differently the same plant family can present itself.