Amaranth

[AlittleSalt]

It's also called Chinese Spinach or Yin Choy. It grows in late spring and summer. It will thrive in hot/dry/humid climates, but can't take cold at all. Have you tried it? Any info would be appreciated.

[Whwoz]

Some are grown for their leaves, others for grain and some are ornamental. I assume you are referring to those grown for their leaves, those that I have tried down here were variable in taste, texture and hairiness. Cannot recall varieties

[PlainJane]

Have a packet of free seed from Baker but haven’t had the time to start them. I have 35 days until the containers have to start cycling over to tomatoes, eggplant and peppers so time to germinate and harvest is a factor.
If you try it let us know how quickly the seed sprouts and how long till they’re big enough to be usable.

[FarmerShawn]

Around here, a very common annual weed is called lamb's quarters, and it is an amaranth. The young leaves are a wonderful spinach substitute. I've seen something in seed catalogues called magenta spreen that looks almost exactly like it. I've grown an ornamental that I think is also an amaranth called love lies bleeding. It's very pretty, and its young leaves, also, were very tasty.

[AlittleSalt]

Here are some pictures of Amaranth https://www.kitazawaseed.com/seeds_amaranth_1.html
I like the way the 'Red Leaf' variety looks. (The one that is red and green leaf.) It looks like a colorful addition to a salad. Maybe eat it alongside sliced tomatoes?

[Shule]

Lambsquarter is in the Amaranth family, but it's not in the Amaranthus genus (which is what comprises all the species of amaranth). It's kind of like the relation of radishes and cabbage. Radishes are cabbages in the sense that they're in the cabbage family, but they're not actually the same species as cabbage, or even in the same genus. They're about as closely related as tomatoes and peppers are.

So, Lambsquarter is in the Chenopodium genus of the Amaranth family, while Amaranth is in the Amaranthus genus of the Amaranth family. Lambsquarter is in the same genus as quinoa and magentaspreen.

That being said, we have both lambsquarter and common amaranth (Amaranthus retroflexus) in my garden. They both proliferate in similar conditions with similar treatment (and can both get about 6' tall, dropping loads of seeds), although the common amaranth takes more heat to sprout than the lambsquarter.

And, of course, tomatoes and peppers have a lot in common. Not to say that being in the same family isn't important to know.

[AlittleSalt]

Ty for the info Shule.