🌾 Amaranth

Amaranthus spp.

grains annual

☀️ Sun

full sun

💧 Water

moderate

🗺️ Zones

2-11

🪴 Soil Type

loamy

🧪 Soil pH

6.0-7.0

💧 Drainage

well-drained

📏 Spacing

12-18 inches

📐 Height

3-8 feet

📅 Days to Maturity

50-75 days (leaves), 90-120 days (seed)

🍴 Edible Parts

🍽️ leaves🍽️ seeds🍽️ stems

🤝 Companions (10)

🤝 Sweet Corn

Amaranth and corn share similar growing conditions; amaranth's deep taproot accesses different soil layers, reducing competition

🤝 Cucumber

Amaranth provides light shade for cucumbers in hot climates without competing heavily for nutrients

🤝 Eggplant

Amaranth's tall growth can provide wind protection and partial shade for eggplants in hot summers

🤝 Bean (Bush)

Bush beans fix nitrogen that amaranth uses for protein-rich leaves and seeds; beans stay low while amaranth grows tall, making efficient use of vertical space.

🤝 Pea

Peas fix nitrogen and finish early before amaranth reaches full size; pea trellis provides wind protection for young amaranth seedlings.

🤝 Onion

Onions repel aphids and spider mites; their shallow roots don't compete with amaranth's deep taproot, making them ideal intercropping partners.

🤝 Marigold

Marigolds repel nematodes and leaf-eating pests; root exudates suppress soil-borne pathogens, creating healthier soil for amaranth.

🤝 Basil

Basil repels mosquitoes, thrips, and flies that damage amaranth leaves; aromatic oils may improve amaranth's vigor when grown nearby.

🤝 Tomato

Amaranth provides light dappled shade protecting tomatoes from sunscald in hot climates; tomatoes benefit from the windbreak without heavy root competition.

🤝 Pepper

Peppers benefit from afternoon shade amaranth casts in hot summer months; both thrive in warm, well-drained soils with similar fertility needs.

⚠️ Keep Apart (7)

⚠️ Potato

Both are heavy feeders competing for the same soil nutrients, and amaranth's tall growth can shade out potato plants

⚠️ Carrot

Amaranth's deep taproot competes directly with carrots in the root zone

⚠️ Beet

Competition for root space and nutrients can reduce yields for both crops

⚠️ Fennel

Fennel is allelopathic to most garden plants including amaranth; root exudates inhibit seed germination and stunt seedling growth.

⚠️ Nightshade (wild)

Wild nightshades harbor pests and diseases that readily transfer to amaranth; they also compete aggressively for the same soil nutrients.

⚠️ Cabbage

Cabbage and amaranth compete for similar soil nutrients; cabbage's broad leaves shade out young amaranth seedlings when planted too closely.

⚠️ Lambsquarters

Lambsquarters is a wild amaranth relative that harbors shared pests and diseases; its presence creates a pest bridge to cultivated amaranth.

💊 Medicinal Uses

Amaranth leaves are rich in iron, calcium, and vitamin C, used traditionally for anemia and malnutrition. The seeds contain high-quality protein with lysine, an amino acid often lacking in grains. Amaranth oil contains squalene, which has antioxidant and skin-healing properties. Traditional medicine uses it for diarrhea, inflammation, and as a cardiovascular tonic.

📜 History & Traditional Uses

Amaranth was a staple crop of the Aztec, Inca, and Maya civilizations, used both as food and in religious ceremonies. The Aztecs made figurines from amaranth dough for rituals. After Spanish colonization, its cultivation was suppressed due to its pagan associations. It has experienced a global revival as a nutritious pseudocereal and leafy green. In India, amaranth (rajgira) is used in fasting foods and sweets. In Africa and the Caribbean, it is widely grown as callaloo.

📝 Notes

Amaranth is a C4 plant with exceptional drought and heat tolerance. Both leaves and seeds are edible — the leaves taste similar to spinach, and the seeds can be popped like popcorn or cooked as a grain. It readily self-seeds and can become weedy if not managed. Amaranth is gluten-free and considered a pseudocereal along with quinoa and buckwheat. Some ornamental varieties have stunning red, purple, or gold flower plumes.