amaranth seedlings are beautiful

this is our first time growing amaranth, and so far it's lookin' great! i just transplanted these above seedlings to a larger pot, to see how it grows differently from others that i'm leaving in the lil' greenhouse-type setup we've got a bit longer. when you've got a sea of little green shoots stickin' up, it's such a treat for these strong little reddish aliens to be in the mix.

here's what the fedco seeds catalog has to say about this variety of amaranth, which we got from them:

008HO Hopi Red Dye Amaranth OG (46 days) Amaranthus cruentus Hopi was the best of the nine amaranths in our trial, displaying the deepest burgundies. Stately plant grows to 6' with a 1-2' inflorescence. Eat the young leaves in salads or slightly steamed, admire them young or old. The tiny black seeds are also edible, used in breakfast cereal to accentuate the taste and fragrance of honey. The Hopis make a scarlet food dye from the flower bract to color their ceremonial piki bread. Yanna Fishman of Union Mills, NC, suggests using Hopi in your floral arrangements. “When added to a flower bouquet it makes an ordinary clear jar look like an elegant purple-tinted vase as it colors the water.”