Late summer display of Gomphrenas at UT Gardens in Knoxville, TN

Gomphrena at UT Gardens in Knoxville, TN

Gomphrena, aka Globe amaranth, is an annual bedding plant that blooms profusely in the summer heat and sun. Small ball-shaped flowers are clove-like  in appearance. Many gardeners tend to ignore them at the garden center for showier flowering annuals. By mid-summer, a peek into your neighbor’s yard may cause to rethink that decision. Gomphrenas root down deeply and bloom way into the autumn, often without additional care. Dried gomphrena flowers are favorites of florists.

Depending on the choice of variety, plants grow 10 to 24 inches high and 12 to 16 inches spread. Their color palette includes purple, pink, orange-salmon, and red. Gomphrena’s small flowers are magnets for attracting butterflies and other nectar feeders to garden beds and containers.

Gomphrenas prosper in full sun and in average well-drained soil. Space plants a foot or so apart. Add a slow-release fertilizer to each planting hole.  If summer leaves look chlorotic, 1-2 applications of a water-soluble fertilizer such as Miracle-Gro, Nature’s Source and Daniels will green them back up. Once plants are well established, water needs become minimal.

Gomphrenas attract very few insect pests and no diseases. Spider mites may be troublesome when weather is exceptionally dry. A blast of water to the underside of leaves reduces their populations without resorting to pesticides.

‘Fireworks’ is one of the new generation of gomphrena cultivars; one inch flowers appear as explosions of pink with yellow stamens. ‘Audray Bicolor Rose’ has two-toned flowers, rose colored at the base and white on top. The Las Vegas series (white, pink, purple) have been outstanding performers.