Emerald Tassels
What's special about Emerald Tassels
Chartreuse-green trailing tassels — the green counterpart to Love Lies Bleeding. Cool foil for hot palettes.
Growing this variety
Emerald Tassels follows the same growing basics as Amaranth. Variety-specific maturity above; everything else below applies to the whole Amaranth family.
Germination
Spacing & depth
How to plant
Barely press tiny seed into damp, warm soil — do not cover. Thin ruthlessly; crowded plants stay stunted. Cut flower plumes when the top third is fully colored for longest vase life.
Grower's tip
Both an ornamental cut flower and a grain crop. Young leaves are edible like spinach. Self-seeds aggressively.
Soil preferences
Well-drained garden soil. Native/wildflower species prefer lean soil; cutting flowers prefer richer beds.
6.0–7.0
Work 1 in of compost into beds before sowing. Skip nitrogen fertilizer on wildflowers — it favors foliage over blooms.
Watering
1 in per week during establishment, drought-tolerant once rooted for most species.
Deep, infrequent soakings at the base. Overhead water on ornamentals promotes botrytis and rust.
Overwatered: rotted crowns, mildew, floppy stems. Underwatered: small blooms, curled leaves, quick fade.
Prefers top-watering — Top-water (overhead or rain) — grains are wind-pollinated and tolerate wet foliage. Water deeply and infrequently.
Temperature tolerance
60–80°F (16–27°C) ideal for most annuals
50–65°F (10–18°C)
Cool-season annuals (larkspur, poppy, snapdragon) tolerate light frost; warm-season annuals (zinnia, cosmos, marigold) are frost-tender.
Container growing
Possible with the right cultivar
8–14 in (20–35 cm) wide
Compact and dwarf types do best in pots; tall cutting flowers need staking.
Succession planting
Sow cutting flowers (zinnia, cosmos, sunflower) every 3 weeks through midsummer for continuous cut stems.
Detailed harvesting
Cut in early morning when stems are turgid. For cutting varieties, harvest when the bud is just showing color and 1–2 outer petals have opened.
Post-harvest storage & preservation
Immediately re-cut stems underwater and place in clean cool water for 4 hrs before arranging. Petals can be dried on screens for potpourri or crafts.
Culinary, medicinal & other uses
Cut flowers, dried arrangements, pollinator habitat, edible garnishes (borage, nasturtium, calendula, viola).
Medicinal or traditional uses are shared for interest only — this is not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before using any plant medicinally.
Seed saving
Mostly insect-pollinated (outcrossing).
For pure strains, isolate 150–800 ft or bag heads. Wildflower mixes are meant to cross freely.
Stop deadheading favorite blooms; let heads dry brown and rattling on the stem, then collect into a paper bag.
Your zone's planting calendar
Pick your USDA hardiness zone and we'll estimate the key dates for amaranth in your area. These are regional averages — always check your own last-frost forecast before sowing.
My Emerald Tassels Amaranth notes
Emerald Tassels Amaranth seeds on hand
Track packets and loose seeds you already have. Private to your account.
Par level — leave at 0 for no alert. Anything below par shows on Seed Starting and your shopping list.
From your kitchen — grow amaranth from what you already have
Deadhead less. Let the best blooms fade and set seed on the plant — that's your next year's packet.
- 1Mark 2–3 of your favorite flowers with a bit of yarn and stop deadheading them.
- 2Wait until the seed head or pod dries fully on the plant — brown, papery, and rattling.
- 3Cut whole heads into a paper bag on a dry day; shake or rub to free seed.
- 4Sieve out chaff and store cool and dry in a labeled envelope.
Storage: 2–5 years for most flower seed.
Order more seeds
Running low? Reorder from one of these seed stores.
Loading…
Other Amaranth varieties
Love Lies Bleeding
80 daysIconic dangling 24 in ropes of deep magenta-red tassels on 4–5 ft plants. Dries beautifully.
Red Army
90 daysUpright 5–6 ft plant with dense burgundy plumes. Vigorous cut-flower and grain type.
Hopi Red Dye
100 daysTraditional Southwestern grain amaranth with deep-red foliage and plumes. Tasseled seed heads yield edible grain.
Golden Giant
100 daysGrain-type amaranth — massive golden seed heads on 6–7 ft plants yielding up to a pound of pale, mild grain per plant. Top choice for home grain harvest.
Red Leaf
50 days for greensVegetable amaranth grown for tender crimson-and-green edible leaves — cooked like spinach in Asian and Caribbean kitchens. Harvest young.