Chenopodium, Goosefoot, Inca Wheat, Pigweed, Quinoa 'Brilliant Rainbow'
Chenopodium quinoa
| Family: | Amaranthaceae |
| Genus: | Chenopodium (ken-oh-POH-dee-um) (Info) |
| Species: | quinoa (KEEN-oh-a) (Info) |
| Cultivar: | Brilliant Rainbow |
View this plant in a gardenCategory:
Annuals
Herbs
Water Requirements:
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Sun Exposure:
Full Sun
Foliage:
Grown for foliage
Herbaceous
Foliage Color:
Height:
24-36 in. (60-90 cm)
36-48 in. (90-120 cm)
Spacing:
18-24 in. (45-60 cm)
Hardiness:
Not Applicable
Where to Grow:
Danger:
Bloom Color:
Chartreuse (yellow-green)
Inconspicuous/none
Bloom Characteristics:
This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds
Bloom Size:
Bloom Time:
Mid Summer
Late Summer/Early Fall
Other details:
May be a noxious weed or invasive
Soil pH requirements:
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
Patent Information:
Non-patented
Propagation Methods:
From seed; direct sow outdoors in fall
From seed; direct sow after last frost
Self-sows freely; deadhead if you do not want volunteer seedlings next season
Seed Collecting:
Allow seedheads to dry on plants; remove and collect seeds
Regional
This plant is said to grow outdoors in the following regions:
Lawndale, California
Longmont, Colorado
Gardeners' Notes:
| Rating | Content |
|---|---|
| Positive | On Aug 30, 2010, sketchkat06 from Lawndale, CA (Zone 10a) wrote: Very easy to grow! The full size of this plant can be 5 or 6 feet in the ground. I have successfully grown them in containers ranging from recycled half gallon milk cartons to 5 gal. nursery pots to a height of 3 feet. The harvest is dwarfed like the plants, but still decent. The grains also store very well and it's fun to watch the plants change color as they mature and set seed. |
| Positive | On Nov 25, 2008, CurtisJones from Broomfield, CO (Zone 5b) wrote: From your friends at Botanical Interests: Annual. Blooms late summer to fall. Full sun. 4'-6' tall. Dazzling colors of hot pink, royal burgundy, red, pumpkin orange, light yellow, creamy white, and lime green. Use at the back of the flower border for a textural splash of bright colors or grow for the delicious high protein grain. Quinoa grains can be cooked like rice and are highly nutritious. The Incas called quinoa, 'the mother of all grains'. It was planted with a golden tool and offered to the sun in golden vases during solstice. Outside, sow around average last frost date when soil temperatures are near 60 degrees. Inside, sow 1-2 weeks before average last frost date. (Warm climates, sow in late summer of early fall.) |
