African Amaranth: An Uncommon Perennial with Limited Garden Information
If you’ve stumbled across the name African amaranth in your plant research, you might be wondering what this mysterious member of the amaranth family is all about. Also known by its botanical name Amaranthus muricatus, this perennial forb is one of the lesser-known players in the diverse world of amaranths.
What Exactly Is African Amaranth?
African amaranth is a perennial herbaceous plant, which means it comes back year after year but doesn’t develop woody stems like shrubs or trees. As a forb, it’s essentially a soft-stemmed plant that dies back to ground level and regrows from its root system or base. Think of it as the botanical equivalent of that friend who disappears every winter but reliably shows up again in spring.
Where Does It Grow?
Currently, African amaranth has been documented growing in Alabama, where it has established itself as a non-native species that reproduces without human help. This suggests it’s found a way to make itself at home in at least part of the southeastern United States, though its presence appears quite limited compared to its more widespread amaranth cousins.
Should You Plant African Amaranth?
Here’s where things get a bit tricky. While African amaranth isn’t listed as invasive or noxious, there’s remarkably little information available about growing this particular species. Unlike popular amaranths such as love-lies-bleeding or globe amaranth that gardeners know and love, this one seems to fly under the radar in both cultivation and research circles.
The lack of detailed growing information, combined with its non-native status, makes it a challenging choice for most gardeners. You’d essentially be experimenting without much guidance on:
- Specific growing conditions it prefers
- How large it gets
- What it actually looks like in the garden
- How to successfully propagate it
- Its hardiness zones
Better Alternatives for Your Garden
If you’re drawn to amaranths for their unique textures and colors, consider these well-documented native and widely-cultivated options instead:
- Palmer’s amaranth – though this one can be weedy in agricultural settings
- Powell’s amaranth – a native option in some regions
- Red amaranth – widely available and well-understood
For Alabama gardeners specifically, focusing on native wildflowers and forbs that are well-documented and support local ecosystems would be a more reliable and beneficial choice.
The Bottom Line
African amaranth remains something of an enigma in the gardening world. While it’s not flagged as problematic, the lack of cultivation information makes it an impractical choice for most gardeners. Sometimes the most responsible approach is to stick with plants that have established track records, especially when there are so many wonderful native alternatives that will reliably beautify your garden while supporting local wildlife.
If you do encounter this plant in the wild, consider it a botanical curiosity worth observing, but perhaps not worth the guesswork of trying to cultivate in your own garden.
