I have always grown gomphrena but last year I tried this new variety. Heat tolerant? There is other plant to beat it. By the end of summer it will be there to wow you into the fall.
These photos were taken in the September just as the Monarchs were passing through and they were all over it.
This is not a shy plant. You may think so to begin with but it will eventually tower over and above the other plants, although its airy foliage means that other plants are not denied their place in the sun.
By October, after the hottest summer on record, it was still going strong.
I grew mine from seed so I thought about getting new seed for this year. That was when I got sticker shock. $30.10 for 100 seeds, $14.95 for 100, $4.99 for 25, $5.95 for 30. Prices all over the place. I wonder if they are selling them at my local nursery. I'm sure I didn't pay anything like that last year. Glad I saved some seeds. The question is why are these seeds so expensive? I think I know why.
These are the ones I saved and they spent the last 2 months in the greenhouse. I count myself lucky I left them in there.
The seed heads of the regular globe amaranth, I left in a bowl in the pottingshed were taken behind the microwave and had their seeds removed. Yes, mice love these seeds. They must take hours of painstaking work to remove the seeds from their outer coating. These plants produce plenty of seed and I don't remove them. I just break up the seed head and scatter. I spent 20 minutes on the 'fireworks' seeds and found only three. Not such a prolific producer. I'll be trying the same thing with them but in the meantime I plan to look for a cheaper source of the seed.
Those are really beautiful. In that photo with the pool, they are magnificent. Did you buy them here in Austin or did you get them from a seed source?
ReplyDeleteWonderful...I've been wanting to try these, but never seem to be able to find any sold locally...guess I'll keep looking!
ReplyDeleteI grew them last summer as well. I found them at the Natural Gardener in 4" pots. I bought 3 plants and they took over my sun bed. I hope to find them next year or maybe I'll be lucky and they will have self seeded. I didn't save any seeds.
ReplyDeleteWow, beautiful! It's so great to find a plant that can take the heat!
ReplyDeleteIs other gomphrena as heat-tolerant, or just the 'fireworks' cultivar?
ReplyDeleteThey are a sensational looking flower. I'm left wondering if I'll ever see them here. I'd love to grow them in my hot garden.
ReplyDeleteI saw those last year in the Burpee catalog, but didn't order because of the price. Then, I saw them in your blog-and thought WOW-I definately WILL grow them. But not this year, we are traveling. They are amazing looking. Glad you had tried them.
ReplyDeleteI can only echo your good results with this plant. What a performer! I bought mine in a 1 gallon container at Al-Tex Nursery. $6.00! I was so taken with it, I went back a few weeks later to find them on sale for $2.00! I scattered seed in the garden, the method that seems to work best for me, and am hoping they appear this year.
ReplyDeleteI saw one at Shoal Creek Nursery, when I went to cash in my gift certificate last fall. I should've gotten it.
ReplyDeleteDo deer eat them? My sunny spots are in the deer infested areas.
Nice. Will have to try myself. Those pesky rodents got into my peat post last winter and ate some ryegrass that was unintentionally dropped at the big box store into the packaging. I swear they can't see well but they sure can smell well. lol.
ReplyDeleteThanks for introducing me to a new plant! Love the heat-lovers and self-sowers.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think the germination rate is quite low. I grew them from plants, and they didn't really take off. I want to try some seeds. I think they are lovely in the garden, and the butterflies do love them.~~Dee
ReplyDeleteI sowed the seeds that you gave me in the new garden bed I'm sharing with my neighbor. So hoping they will come up!
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