Amaranthus caudatus
Love-lies-bleeding, foxtail amaranth, quilete, Quilete
(c) Andrés Ramírez-Barrera, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Amaranthaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Amaranthus caudatus (Love-lies-bleeding) is a non-native California herb in the Amaranthaceae family, recognized by . Key features: long drooping terminal inflorescence, cultivated ornamental, colorful.
Love-lies-bleeding is a naturalized annual herb found in southern San Joaquin Valley and Southern California coastal areas in disturbed areas at elevations below 200 meters. Flowering from July to October, this plant produces drooping panicles of small flowers in rich red, purple, and white colors. Growing with erect branched stems 30 to 200 centimeters tall that are reddish-purple and moderately hairy toward the tips, it develops impressive cascading flower clusters. Its rhombic-ovate leaves are 25 to 150 millimeters long with wedge-shaped bases and slightly wavy margins, providing an attractive backdrop to the dramatic hanging flower spikes. The fruit is a small circumscissile capsule approximately 1.5 to 2.5 millimeters long, containing seeds that range from white to dark reddish-black.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 15 sympatric species. Key features: long drooping terminal inflorescence, cultivated ornamental, colorful
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed areas
Elevation: < 200 m
Outside California: to eastern United States and southern Canada, Asia, Europe, Africa, native to central and western South America
Bloom period
Amaranthus caudatus blooms Jul-Oct.
How to tell it apart
vs Celosia: Amaranthus has bristly flower spikes; Celosia has showy velvety flower plumes or crested combs.; vs Rumex: Amaranthus has dense bristly flower clusters; Rumex has flowers in whorls along stems with papery wings on fruits.; vs Salsola: Amaranthus has soft oval leaves and clustered flowers; Salsola has spine-tipped leaves and papery winged fruits.; vs Euphorbia: Amaranthus lacks milky sap and has separate male/female flowers; Euphorbia has milky sap and cup-like flower clusters.; vs Chenopodium: Amaranthus has bristly flower clusters; Chenopodium has mealy-coated leaves and flowers in loose balls.
Frequently asked questions
Is Amaranthus caudatus native to California?
No. Amaranthus caudatus is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Amaranthus caudatus bloom?
Amaranthus caudatus blooms Jul-Oct.
What plant family does Amaranthus caudatus belong to?
Amaranthus caudatus is in the Amaranthaceae family, genus Amaranthus.
What habitat does Amaranthus caudatus grow in?
Amaranthus caudatus grows in Disturbed areas.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.