Scientific Name:
Gomphrena globosa
Pronunciation:
gom-FREE-nuh glo-BOH-suh
Common Name:
globe amaranth
Family Name:
Amaranthaceae
Plant Type:
Annual (grown as)
Key ID Features:
Leaves alternate, most blades narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate, 8-13cm long x 1-3cm wide, sparsely pubescent, margin ciliate; spikes compact, rounded, florets tiny, white-yellow, inside colourful individual tubular bracts ~1cm long x 2-3mm wide, June to frost.
Habit:
Spreading
Form:
Mounded
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
0.4 - 0.7m
Mature Spread:
0.1 - 0.3m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Central America
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 9: (-7 to -1 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Landscape Uses:
Attract butterflies, Bedding plant, Container planting, Cut flower or foliage, Dried flower or fruit, Group or mass planting, Hanging basket, Summer interest
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown may include A. 'Fireworks'.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate, Sessile
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Pubescent
Colour in Summer:
Green, Bronze
Shapes:
Elliptic, Oblong, Obovate
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Decurrent
Margins:
Ciliate, Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Spike, Floriferous, Panicle-like
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Tubular
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White, Yellow, Violet, Purple, Pink, Magenta, Red (White to yellow with much more obvious white, violet, pink, purple, magenta, or red bracts depending on the cultivar)
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green, Yellow, Red
Propagation:
Seed
Maintenance:
Low
Other:
deadhead to promote further flowering
Pest Susceptibility:
Mildew (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant)
