Tip #7: Globe Amaranth (Gomphrena globosa)
Globe Amaranth provides relentless, cheerful color regardless of the temperature. Instead of traditional delicate petals, this plant features stiff, papery bracts clustered into clover-like spheres. Because these bracts lack the high water content of regular flower petals, they never wilt, fade, or scorch in the punishing afternoon sun. They maintain their brilliant shades of magenta, purple, soft pink, and bright white from early summer through late fall.
As a highly adaptable annual in USDA Zones 2 through 11, Globe Amaranth grows one to two feet tall with an upright, branching habit. This plant exemplifies exactly what you want when searching for low water flowers; it thrives in hot, dry, and humid conditions alike, demanding almost zero attention from the gardener.
Sow the seeds outdoors after the soil warms up completely in the spring. Water the young seedlings lightly until they reach about six inches in height, then dramatically reduce your watering frequency. Globe Amaranth also excels as a cut flower. You can easily harvest the stems, strip the leaves, and hang them upside down in a dark, dry room to create beautiful, everlasting dried floral arrangements.
