Ok, Plant Geeks of the world listen up. Have you heard of the plant genus Gomphrena, or Globe Amaranth? Yes, it is mostly a boring run of the mill plant that has the advantage of drying well. I think that is why most people like to plant it, for its quality of lasting long into the winter in dried flower arrangements – certainly not for its garden bedding characteristics. In Hawaii, they use the flowers in leis because of its lasting qualities.
Pink Zazzle Gomphrena has burst on the scene with a blast and not only did the flowers get a makeover, the foliage is quite beautiful with a downy coating of fur on the leaves, like a soft blanket of lambs wool. Pink Zazzle, a hybrid of Globe Amaranth from Proven Winners is easy to grow, tolerates drought and has long-lasting jumbo-sized flowers held on the plant for months on end.  The flower heads take the old Gomphrena form and turn it into something new and exciting, and people love the tactile quality of the plant.
 Culture
Pink Zazzle will get about 12 inches tall on a well branched plant and bloom prolifically with “knock your socks off” hot pink blooms up to 3 inches across. It prefers hot sun and dry conditions. I noticed this when I first bought it in the early spring and kept the plant inside. I watered the plant to keep it moist, but when the plant started to droop and looked like there was rot in the stem, I stopped watering it and it perked up. Grown indoors as a pot plant or outdoors in the garden or container, I planted Zazzle outside in the hot sun and heat when it got warmer. The flowers literally last for weeks, almost drying in place on the plant. Remove them as they turn brown to encourage the formation of more blooms.
The price point of the plant will be higher than a marigold and most likely treated in the nursery as a premium annual. I planted these out last year in containers and in the ground, and though they are slow to get going, they eventually form a nice mounding plant covered in these “strawflower” type of flowers. I found my plants at a Lowes and it looked like they had been over watered as they weren’t the best looking.
According to Valley View Farm’s website, the flowers will attract hummingbirds and butterflies and is hardy to zone 8. Growing only a foot high and wide, Pink Zazzle is perfect placed in front of a flower border.
Where do I get it?
Via iPhone/CPK
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I believe Valley View in Cockeysville has it
Where can I find the hybrid Gomphrena zazzle
It is hit or miss, but I have found it at Lowes late in the season. It is very hard to find!
I never would have thought it attracted hummingbirds.
Me either! But the info about the plant says that they visit it. I will be checking it for any pollinators that visit
Stunning. Pinned to my bucket list. 🙂
I need this! Thanks.
I considered adding the Pink Zazzle to the garden a couple of times but walked away both times. Maybe next year.
Claire, I grew this on Mercer Island in a flower box last year. It was stunning…having a very hard time finding it this year…so disappointed! BTW, enjoyed your talk on Slow Gardening this past spring at our Flower and Garden Show in Seattle!
Thanks so much! I asked my local nursery specifically to grow this
I would love to know who this nursery is! I was lucky enough to get plants from a mutual friend- could I overwinter this, take cuttings, keep it going?
Blooming Hill Nursery on Middleton Rd. It is too late to get it now, but I have successfully overwintered it, but it is very tough to do. You have to be careful not to over water it.
PS I’ve seen no pollinators, and I have no dead flowers- truly amazing plant!
How can I prune the dead flowers or do you just leave them alone?
Prune them off and they will form new ones within a week
Do I cut the leaves around the flower or just prune the flower. I pruned them below the attached leaves and flower but have not seen any new ones in over a week.
Just prune the flower
I love this flower!!! So excited to bring it home in Lansing Mi. But I planted it in consumer no problem then started to show signs of what I thought not enough water… Well thru many investigations of whether not watering or over watering .. I’m convinced over watering. Tipped container sideways and yes a lot of water drained out!! Can I save it? It looks whither rd and discolored, just foliage flowers bright as ever. Help please
Stop watering and put in full sun to dry out. Maybe you can save it! Cut it back also.
Is there any way to perpetuate it so that I don’t have to buy a new plant each year? Will it grow as an indoor houseplant over the winter? If I break off a stem, will it reproduce like a succulent? Or can I harvest seeds from it somehow? It is quite pricey and I’d love to have more of them next year.
I live in Vancouver, Washington, and purchased this plant about 4 months ago. Wow, this plant is gorgeous, and blooms are long lasting, and none stop! Can I transfer this plant to the inside of my house, and keep it happy until next Spring? I plan on keeping it in a well lit area, and watering it very little (or per the demand of the plant, since the heat from inside the house may have a tendency to dry it out.) Would love to hear if anyone else has gotten this plant to acclimate to live indoors.
I have overwintered it but it is very hard. Keep it dry and in full sun for the best results. Three out of four of my plants died inside.
I bought this plant from Home Depot 2 years ago and it came back for me, I live in zone 7
Good to know. Thanks!
I just purchased one at Home Depot and I am in zone 8 will it do well here in TX?
Yes, it likes hot sunny weather
Não sei falar inglês. Quero dizer que no Brasil existem várias Gomphrenas nativas, dentre estas, uma parecidÃssima a esta no Bioma Cerrado (savanas). Poucas diferenças entre elas: no tamanho da flor e das folhas. No Brasil ela tem o nome popular de Paratudo por sua propriedade medicinal usada pelos povos antigos. Nome cientÃfico: (Gomphrena macrocephala), sua florescência ocorre no perÃodo de seca. Observação: no Brasil apesar de existir outono, inverno, primavera e verão. No cerrado (Savanas) o que vale é o perÃodo das águas e o perÃodo da seca.