Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
How to Care for a Gomphrena Plant
How to Care for a Gomphrena Plant. Gomphrena (Gomphrena globosa) may have an unusual name, but the little annual bloomer lights up the landscape with attractive, globe-shaped blooms in shades of bright purple, pink, white, red, orange and lavender. Each small bloom measures about 1 inch in diameter, with a single plant producing dozens of blooms...
Gomphrena (Gomphrena globosa) may have an unusual name, but the little annual bloomer lights up the landscape with attractive, globe-shaped blooms in shades of bright purple, pink, white, red, orange and lavender. Each small bloom measures about 1 inch in diameter, with a single plant producing dozens of blooms from midsummer to mid-August. Gomphrena, also known as globe amaranth or globe flower, is a sun- and heat-loving plant that will attract a variety of butterflies to your garden. Once established, gomphrena is virtually maintenance-free.
Things You'll Need
Container with drainage hole
Commercial potting soil
Plant gomphrena in full sunlight. Select a planting spot where the soil drains well, as gomphrena is drought-tolerant but doesn't tolerate wet, soggy soil. Allow 10 to 12 inches between each plant.
Water gomphrena during periods of hot, dry weather. Provide enough water to saturate the root zone, then don't water again until the soil dries.
Pinch off wilted gomphrena blooms, as deadheading keeps gomphrena neat and tidy and prevents the plant from going to seed too early. To deadhead, pinch the faded bloom with your fingernail. Include the attached stem down to the next bloom, bud or leaf.
To grow gomphrena in a container on your patio, fill the container with any commercial potting soil. Place the container in a sunny spot, and water when the soil feels dry.
Tips & Warnings
Purchase gomphrena bedding plants at a nursery or garden center, or plant seeds directly in your garden after danger of frost has passed. Scatter the seeds on loose, cultivated soil, then water carefully. Don't cover the seeds with soil, as soil blocks sunlight that the tiny seeds need to germinate.
Gomphrena is easy to dry for use in winter arrangements. Gather a bunch of six to 10 stems, then secure the ends of the stems with a rubber band. Hang the bunch upside down from a hook or hanger in a dark, dry, well-ventilated room.
Although hungry deer eat nearly anything, gomphrena tends to be deer resistant.
Gomphrena is a good choice for a butterfly garden.
