I like to use tall zinnias to anchor the back of my annual beds, but one summer when a “herd” of rabbits took over my yard and wouldn’t let any of my zinnias get more than 6 inches tall before shaving them off, I decided enough was enough. That’s when I decided to give Amaranthus ‘Hot Biscuit’ a try.
‘Hot Biscuit’ (Amaranthus cruentus) is a wonderful back-of-the-border plant. It grows 40 to 48 inches tall with feathery rusty-brown spikes. As the plants develop they form very thick, sturdy stalks. I always stake mine (better safe than sorry), but I bet they could hold their own in a thunderstorm.
Thankfully, rabbits aren’t interested in the plants and they aren’t bothered by pests or diseases…with one exception. I have noticed occasional earwig damage on the leaves when I first plant them in my flowerbeds, but ‘Hot Biscuit’ grows pretty fast and the earwigs can’t keep up.
‘Hot Biscuit’ is easy to sprout from seed indoors or out. If you sprout them outdoors, wait until the soil is nice and warm and they’ll really take off.
If you’re looking for a shorter cultivar, try ‘Autumn Touch’. It grows 3 feet tall and sports a combination of green and rusty-brown plumes.
My favorite amaranthus is ‘Autumn Palettte’ (Amaranthus paniculatus). It’s the tallest of the bunch (5 feet) and showcases a mixture of plumes in brown, cream and copper:
