Slender Amaranth, Purple amaranth
Amaranthus blitum
Family: Amaranthaceae
What it is like
Amaranthus blitum is a ANNUAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf from April to October, in flower in August, and the seeds ripen in September. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Wind. The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 1
Where it is found
A cosmopolitan weed growing on waste ground.
Temperate and Tropical zones.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 4
Leaves - raw or cooked as a spinach. The leaves contain about 3.88% protein, 1.1% fat, 9.38% carbohydrate, 3.2% ash, 323mg Ca, 8.3mg Fe, they are very rich in Vitamins A & C, rich in vitamin B1. The leaves are used as a potherb in order to remove poison from the system. Seed - cooked. Used as a cereal substitute in cakes, porridge etc. Very small, about 1.2mm in diameter, but it is easy to harvest and very nutritious. The seed can be cooked whole, and becomes very gelatinous like this, but it is rather difficult to crush all of the small seeds in the mouth and thus some of the seed will pass right through the digestive system without being assimilated. An edible dye is obtained from the seed capsules.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Colouring: edible dyes
Medicine
Rating: 2
A fluid extract of the plant is used as an astringent internally in the treatment of ulcerated mouths and throats, externally as a wash for ulcers and sores. The juice of the roots is used externally to relieve headaches. The plant has a folk reputation for being effective in the treatment of tumours and warts.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Other
Rating: 2
Yellow and green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant.
Dye: Plants that provide dyes.
Dynamic accumulator: Plants that gather minerals or nutrients from the soil and store them in a more bioavailable form and in high concentration in their tissues. Used as fertilizer or to improve mulch.
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
How it is grown
Often cultivated, especially the form oleraceus, the plant succeeds from the temperate zone through to the tropics. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 21 - 27°c, but can tolerate 18 - 32°c. It can be killed by temperatures of 4°c or lower. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,200 - 1,500mm, but tolerates 200 - 2,700mm. Prefers a well-drained fertile soil in a sunny position. Requires a hot sheltered position if it is to do well. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7, tolerating 4.3 to 7.5. The plant has become a weed in many areas of the world outside its original range. It is classified as 'Invasive' in many Pacific Islands. Plants are particularly susceptible to attacks by leaf-chewing insects. Plants should not be given inorganic fertilizers, see notes above on toxicity. This plant was cultivated by the ancient Romans and Greeks for its edible leaves, there are some named varieties. Most if not all members of this genus photosynthesize by a more efficient method than most plants. Called the 'C4 carbon-fixation pathway', this process is particularly efficient at high temperatures, in bright sunlight and under dry conditions. In garden design, as well as the above-ground architecture of a plant, root structure considerations help in choosing plants that work together for their optimal soil requirements including nutrients and water. The root pattern is clumping, giving the plant a clumping habit. The predictable growth behaviour makes it easier to maintain without having to apply containment methods.
Propagating it: Seed - sow late spring in situ. An earlier sowing can be made in a greenhouse and the plants put out after the last expected frosts. Germination is usually rapid and good if the soil is warm. A drop in temperature overnight aids germination. Cuttings of growing plants root easily.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Annual
Hardiness: 4-8
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
No members of this genus are known to be poisonous, but when grown on nitrogen-rich soils they are known to concentrate nitrates in the leaves. This is especially noticeable on land where chemical fertilizers are used. Nitrates are implicated in stomach cancers, blue babies and some other health problems. It is inadvisable, therefore, to eat this plant if it is grown inorganically.
Its other names
Local names
Synonyms
A. blitum. L.