I have always loved gomphrena, commonly known as globe amaranth, and its pink, purple, or white gumball flowers. They are solid, drought-tolerant bloomers, going nonstop from early summer until the first hard frost. Now, with the new hybrids developed from a cross with the heat-loving lanky Rio Grande globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa), the range of gomphrena flower head colors have expanded to include red, pink, purple, lilac, orange, violet, and white. The hybrids also come in different heights, such as the Ping Pong® series that grows 16 to 20 inches high, making it easy to mingle them with others in the garden. As a bonus, gomphrena is a reliable cut flower and can be dried to make an everlasting bouquet. It’s deer resistant, too!
The short mounding varieties of Gomphrena globosa, such as ‘Buddy Purple,’ ‘Buddy Rose,’ and ‘Buddy White,’ flower from late spring to mid-fall, with clover-like flower heads in violet-purple, rose, or white flowers respectively. They grow no higher than 1 foot tall and are typically planted at the front of a garden bed. ‘Purple Gnome’ gomphrena grows to only 6 to 10 inches. You can plant the short globe amaranth in early summer to fill in areas left open by spent spring bulbs or cool-season flowers.
Gomphrena works well in sunny planters for season-long color. The rich purple blooms make a great contrast to yellow, pink, and white heat-loving flowers such as lantana, zinnia, and marigolds. Taller cultivars can be inserted in a bed with annual blue salvia, coneflowers, and airy euphorbias. And you can dry the button-type flowers by cutting them, removing foliage, bunching loosely, and hanging them upside down in a cool, well-ventilated place.
The new gomphrena varieties include the showstopper Gomphrena pulchella ‘Fireworks’ and the long-stemmed, bright red Gomphrena haagean’Strawberry Fields.’ Both are heat loving and make great cut flowers that will have everyone talking.
‘Fireworks ‘gomphrena (Gomphrena pulchella ‘Fireworks’) has hot pink blooms that look as if they exploded with little rays of yellow. The abundant, drought-tolerant flowers seemingly float in the air on 3- to 4-foot-tall stems. The shorter ‘Truffula Pink’ gomphrena grows to 28 inches tall and is covered with similar hot pink flowers. No deadheading required. ‘Truffula Pink’ is perfect for containers in hot-sunny areas.
The short ‘Buddy Purple’ gomphrena works well as an edging to Flower Carpet ‘Pink Supreme’ ground cover rose. The colors blend nicely and they both thrive in sunny, hot weather. As with other gomphrenas, the flowers invite pollinators such as bees, moths, and butterflies.
QIS Series gomphrena is a mix of globose-type flowers in a range of colors and shades including the rare, orange-scarlet flowers. This popular mix is great for hot sunny beds or cut flowers. Grows 24 to 30 inches tall and the seed can be directly sown on the ground after all danger of frost has passed. Deer resistant.