Amaranth (greens)

Vegetable · warm season · also called callaloo, chinese spinach

Amaranth greens with purple-centered leaves
Photo: 葉子, iNaturalist (CC0)

When to plant

  • Sow seeds outdoors about 1 week after your average last spring frost.
  • Ready to harvest about 45 days after planting.
  • Sow again every 3 weeks for a steady harvest.

Heat- and drought-tolerant summer green. Pick young leaves.

Frost dates depend on where you live. Enter your ZIP code to get exact dates.

Growing basics

Sun
Full sun (6+ hours)
Spacing
6–12 in
Soil temperature
At least 60°F
Time to harvest
About 45 days
Containers
At least 3 gallons
Plant family
Beet and spinach family
Harvest per plant
About 0.5 lb
Seeds keep
About 4 years

Companions

Keep apart: Horseradish. Horseradish spreads aggressively. Give it its own spot.

Keep apart: Mint. Mint spreads aggressively into neighbors. Keep it in a pot.

Keep apart: Fennel (bulb). Fennel slows the growth of most garden plants. Grow it on its own.

Keep apart: Sunchoke (Jerusalem artichoke). Sunchokes spread aggressively and shade neighbors.

Grow it well

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