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Product Profile - Amaranthus
September 17th, 2019

Amaranthus is the perfect addition when you want to create an extra dashing flower arrangement. Apart from its attractive looks and flashy colours, Amaranthus has a lot to offer from the inside as well. Millions of people all around the world know all about this. Want to know what this is? Keep on reading!
 

ORIGIN

Amaranthus (also known as amaranth) is a herbaceous plant. Around 60 plants are recognized within the genus, the plants can have colours ranging from deep red to gold and green. Amaranthus is not particular picky in terms of habitat, because this plant can naturally occur in tropical regions (such as parts of south America) and in colder climates (such as northern Europe). Depending on the species, the colourful spikes of the amaranthus grow upright or hang down.
 

Amaranthus is the symbol of immortality and that is absolutely true: Amaranthus has an extremely long shelf life and is therefore the perfect flower for drying purposes.

MYTHOLOGY

The seeds of the Amaranthus plant were an important source of food for the Incas. They ate the seeds either raw or cooked. In the Andes, the seed is now known as “kiwicha” and, to this day, is still consumed within the region. In the Aztec culture, the seeds were used to prepare ritual drinks and food. Nowadays the seeds are often roasted and sprinkled onto cookies or candies in South America. 
 

Last fun fact: did you know that quinoa is also a member of the Amaranthus family? The seeds of this variety are processed into a type of rice and have become quite popular all over de world in the last few years. Especially for people that are vegan or vegetarian, quinoa is the perfect addition to their diets.
 

Not only are the seeds edible, so are the leaves of some Amranthus species. You might find them in a restaurant, where they usually called ‘Chinese spinach’.
 

COLOURS

At Coloríginz we often paint Amaranthus in seasonal and trendy colours. For the current range and color selection, log in and click here to shop our current Amaranthus selection.