Photo courtesy of Freepik.com

For our July Horticulture presentation Linda Hooper introduced us to Gomphrena.  Gomphrena is also known as Globe Amaranth, Globe flower and Bachelor’s Button.

Photo courtesy of Gardenia.com

This old-fashioned annual produces a plethora of pompom-like blooms all summer long and works equally well in container arrangements, garden beds, and borders to provide long-lasting color.  It is a sun lover, is heat and drought tolerant and requires little maintenance once established.

The clover-like flowerheads are actually made up of colorful bracts in shades of purple, pink, red, orange, or white.  Its height varies by type, ranging from dwarf cultivars that grow 6 to 8 inches tall to others, such as ‘Fireworks’ that can grow as tall as 4 feet.