Globe Amaranth
Gomphrena globosa
Family Amaranthaceae
Cut globe amaranth at its peak and the color simply stays — for years. Its papery, clover-shaped globes are the classic everlasting flower, drying so perfectly they seem never to have wilted. In the garden they come in waves all summer, untroubled by heat that melts other bedding plants.
A tidy knee-high annual that asks for sun and little else, feeding butterflies and bees straight through drought and staying presentable until frost. The flowers even steep into a traditional tea. Edge a bed with it once and you'll keep a row for the vases alone.
Full Sun
Low water
Moderate growth
Attracts butterflies
Attracts bees
None winter chill
From the print shop
Growing globe amaranth? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries globe amaranth — Gomphrena globosa, print Nº 211, “Globe Amaranth.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what globe amaranth actually needs.
Life cycleAnnualGlobe Amaranth · Common problems
Common globe amaranth problems
Pests
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Diseases
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Globe Amaranth · Growing & propagation
Growing globe amaranth
- Light
- Full Sun
- Water
- Low
Drought- and heat-proof
Soil- Any well-drained · pH 6.0 - 7.5
Fertilizer- Light
Pruning- Deadhead lightly; cut for drying
A tough, tidy heat-lover covered all summer in papery clover-shaped flower globes that never seem to fade — magenta, purple, orange, white — feeding butterflies and bees. It's the premier 'everlasting' for drying: cut the globes and they hold their color perfectly for years. Thrives in heat and drought where fussier flowers wilt. The blooms brew a traditional folk tea.
Spacing- 8-10 in
How to plant & propagate globe amaranth
Maturity- 85-100 days
- From seed
- Start indoors 6-8 wks early
Heat-loving everlasting
- Propagate
- From seed
Globe Amaranth · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Globe Amaranth · Yearly calendar
The globe amaranth year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
BloomBloomJune to August
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Globe Amaranth · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Gomphrena globosa
Globe Amaranth in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer annual
- Nectary/insectary
- Attracts
- Butterflies, Bees
Moisture- Upland / dry
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
Origin- Introduced
What globe amaranth is grown for
✓ Commonly eatenflowers used in a folk tea
Use- Everlasting dried flower
- Use
- Heat-proof color
- Use
- Pollinators
- Edible value
- 3/5
Harvesting & storing globe amaranth
Excellent EVERLASTING dried flower (holds color perfectly); edible flowers used in a traditional tea. About 85-100 days from planting.
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Globe Amaranth · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a globe amaranth variety
'Strawberry Fields' (red-orange); 'Fireworks' (tall pink); 'Buddy' series (dwarf); 'QIS' (cutting)
Sources & plant identity
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Globe Amaranth
Gomphrena globosa
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Gomphrena globosa
- Plant family
- Amaranthaceae
- Growth habit
- Annual
- Origin
- Introduced
- USDA plant symbol
- GOGL
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
Questions
Globe Amaranth questions, answered straight.
Is globe amaranth safe for kids and pets?
Globe Amaranth is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. One caveat on this one: flowers used in a folk tea. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
When do you harvest globe amaranth?
Excellent EVERLASTING dried flower (holds color perfectly); edible flowers used in a traditional tea. From planting, expect about 85-100 days to maturity.
How do you propagate globe amaranth?
From seed.
Elsewhere
Where globe amaranth sits in the library.
Sunflower
Zinnia
Peony
Daylily