Amaranthus spinosus seed

LATIN NAME: AMARANTHUS SPINOSUS

COMMON NAME: Spiny Amaranth

In the waste ground and the fields of the warm world, the spiny amaranth grows as a robust, upright, annual herb with the oval, green leaves and the paired, sharp spines at the leaf bases, the long, dense, greenish or reddish flower spikes ripen to the heads of small, shiny, black seeds. Over the seasons it quickly builds a rounded crown, standing 5-10 metres at maturity. Full sun is ideal, in deep, fertile ground.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The spiny amaranth comes up in the studies of the amaranth tribe of the warm world, its paired spines and its dense seed spikes keeping it in view in the work on the leaf vegetables of the tropics and the tough weeds of the cultivated fields. The research looks at the way the paired spines defend the plant, the dense spikes ripen to the black seeds, and the seed biology of the tiny, abundant seeds.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

In the warm kitchen garden and the wayside, the spiny amaranth gives the tender leaves that have been gathered for the pot in the warm regions despite the spines at the leaf bases. The tough annual asks for nothing but sun, and the plant makes the fine leaf vegetable, the hardy weed and the plant of the hot, sunny garden. It is a plant for the open, sunny, deep and rich place.

To grow the Spiny Amaranth from seed, press the tiny seeds onto the surface of moist, warm soil.

Press the tiny seeds onto the surface of moist, warm soil, and keep the young amaranths in the open, sunny spot. The dense spikes ripen with the late summer.

LATIN NAME: Amaranthus spinosus

COMMON NAME: Spiny Amaranth, Needle Burr

Spiny amaranth is a vigorous, upright annual that grows almost anywhere and gives a generous harvest for very little effort. It reaches a metre or more in a single season, with broad, oval, green leaves and a stout, branched stem, and it is easy to recognise by the pairs of sharp spines that grow at the base of the leaf stalks. In summer the stem tops carry dense clusters of small green flowers, which set an enormous number of tiny seeds. It is a tough, fast-growing plant that thrives in poor, disturbed soil, and although it is often dismissed as a weed, it is in fact a useful and nutritious plant with a long history of use.

Spiny amaranth belongs to the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae, and it is native to tropical America, though it has now spread through the tropics and warm regions of the world. It is one of a group of amaranths whose leaves and seeds have been eaten for thousands of years.

Positive & Encouraging Seed Germination Guide

Spiny amaranth is among the easiest of seeds to grow. The tiny seeds germinate quickly and reliably in warm, moist soil, usually within a week or two. Sow them in late spring after the soil has warmed, either in rows or scattered over a prepared bed, and cover them very lightly. Once the seedlings appear they grow fast, and within a few weeks you will have sturdy young plants. They tolerate poor soil and dry conditions, so they need little care. Grow the young leaves for greens, picking them while tender, or leave some plants to flower and set seed for a nutritious grain harvest. For a gardener in a warm climate, spiny amaranth is a hardy, productive plant that turns ordinary ground into a harvest of leaves and seeds.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

Spiny amaranth has a real place in food and weed science. As a close relative of the cultivated grain amaranths, it is studied for its nutritious leaves and seeds, which are rich in protein, vitamins and minerals, and food researchers have examined its potential as a vegetable and grain crop for tropical regions. At the same time, it is one of the most widespread and troublesome weeds of tropical agriculture, and weed scientists have studied its growth, its enormous seed production and its responses to control, making it a well-documented example of a successful weed. Its tolerance of poor, disturbed soils has also drawn interest in research on hardy plants for difficult ground. For a plant that grows along every path, spiny amaranth carries a practical and varied record of study.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Ecologically, spiny amaranth is a fast coloniser of bare ground. It covers disturbed soil quickly, its seed heads feed birds and small mammals, and its dense growth provides shelter for insects and other small creatures.

Its economic value is real and growing. The young leaves are cooked and eaten like spinach across the tropics, rich in iron and vitamins, and the tiny seeds are a nutritious grain, eaten whole, popped or ground into flour. The plant is also used as a fast, high-protein animal fodder. For a grower, spiny amaranth is a hardy, low-input crop that produces a genuine harvest on poor ground, and for anyone interested in nutritious, sustainable foods, it is a plant well worth knowing.