Choose a compact globe amaranth, a Rio Grande globe amaranth, or Truffula first. Height and color class are the buy, not the nursery pot size.
Choose a compact globe amaranth, a Rio Grande globe amaranth, or Truffula first
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Pink, purple, or white bedding | Compact globosa (Gnome, Pinball, Ping Pong) | Do not expect red-orange Strawberry Fields from a Gnome pack |
| Taller red or orange cut stems | Rio Grande globe amaranth | Do not buy a 6-inch Gnome when you wanted a long stem |
| Fluffy pink mound | Truffula Pink | Do not treat Truffula as a Gnome seed strain |
Know your USDA hardiness zone before you pick a type of gomphrena that will take your winter. Type your ZIP below.
2023 USDA ZIP listings (PRISM / USDA-ARS). Find Your USDA Hardiness Zone · Official USDA map.
Read the Latin. Height and color class are the choose, not the nursery pot size. [1] [2] Compact globosa is the usual clover-like bedding plant in pink, purple, or white. [3] Pinball stays a low mound. Rio Grande types add red and orange and a longer stem. [4] Sun and water stay on How to Grow Globe Amaranth.
Which globe amaranth should I plant?
Pick habit first: a compact globosa for bedding, a Rio Grande type for red or orange cut stems, or Truffula for a fluffy pink mound.
Is Strawberry Fields the same as Gnome?
No. Gnome is compact globosa. Strawberry Fields is Rio Grande globe amaranth (Gomphrena haageana) with red bracts.
Browse by kind
Compact globe amaranth
Gnome Pink and Gnome White stay about 6 to 10 inches — front-of-border globosa. Ping Pong Pink and Ping Pong Purple run taller, about 16 to 20 inches, with longer stems for a vase. Pinball Purple and Pinball Lavender sit in between, about 10 to 14 inches. Fireworks is still globosa, with stretched magenta bracts, not Truffula. globe amaranth is the species plant in the same pink-purple-white class.
Rio Grande globe amaranth
Strawberry Fields is Rio Grande globe amaranth — Gomphrena haageana with bright red bracts and a taller cut stem. Rio Grande globe amaranth is the species plant. These bring orange and red that globosa does not. They are still a summer annual where frost hits.
Truffula pink globe amaranth
Truffula Pink is Gomphrena pulchella, sold as a fluffy pink mound. It is not Gnome and not Strawberry Fields. Buy a plant; do not expect a Gnome seed packet to give you this habit.
Pick the group, then the plant. Extra shop names are not extra kinds. Buddy, QIS, Audray, Fireball, Las Vegas, and Cosmic Flare are not in this catalog; treat a compact pink-purple-white plant you already own as globosa, and skip a 6-inch Gnome if you wanted a long red cut stem.
If you wanted a 6-inch edging plant, buy Gnome — Strawberry Fields will not stay that short, and Truffula is a different species.
FAQ
Are Buddy, QIS, or Audray in this list?
No. Those are globe-amaranth names we do not list. Treat a short pink-purple-white plant as globosa, and a taller red or orange plant as a Rio Grande type.
Is Fireworks a Truffula?
No. Fireworks in this catalog is Gomphrena globosa. Truffula Pink is Gomphrena pulchella.
Can I grow Truffula from a Gnome packet?
No. Truffula is a different species, usually sold as a plant. Gnome is a compact globosa seed series.
Related guides
References
- [1] Wisconsin Horticulture -
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/globe-amaranth-gomphrena-globosa/ - [2] Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC -
https://hgic.clemson.edu/annual-globe-amaranth-gomphrena-globosa-in-south-carolina/ - [3] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/gomphrena-globosa/ - [4] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/gomphrena-globosa-pinballtm-series/
This note is part of Gomphrena Guides.
More type comparisons by plant are gathered in Types of Plants Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors