Purple amaranth, Red amaranth

Where does Purple amaranth grow?

Found in: Africa, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Caucasus, Central Africa, Central America, Chad, Chile, China, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinée, Guyana, Haiti, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Korea, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Mozambique, Nigeria, North America, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, Tanzania, Togo, Turkey, Uganda, United States, West Africa, West Indies, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Notes: Seed (Fresh weight) Protein: 15 %. There are about 60 Amaranthus species. It can help control nematode populations. It is a C4 plant.

Status: It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. It is an important and popular leafy green.

Growing Purple amaranth, Red amaranth

Cultivation: Plants can be grown from seed if the soil is warm. Seeds are small and grow easily. They can be put in a nursery and then transplanted after 2-3 weeks. Cuttings of growing plants root easily.

Edible Uses: The leaves and young plant are eaten cooked. They are also dried and stored. The seeds are ground into flour and used to make bread. The seeds are popped and used to prepare candy. CAUTION: This plant can accumulate nitrates if grown with high nitrogen inorganic fertilisers and these are poisonous. The leaves can only be stored for 2-4 days.

Production: Yields of 800-1500 kg per hectare are achieved. Plants can be harvested by pulling up the entire plant or by removing leaves over several harvests.

Nutrition Info

Purple amaranth, Red amaranth Photos

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