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Can someone identify this plant ?

5 years ago

I apologize for not having a photo but I'll try to describe this perennial plant.....

It is a large , tall plant with dense spear shaped leaves. The blooms are most unusual in that they are not actually flowers per se. The bloom is profuse and reminds me of cockscomb but much larger and "meatier". The plant I saw was a deep purple/ maroon. Does anyone have an idea ?

Featured Answer

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

5 years ago

Elephant head amaranth, Amaranthus gangeticus.

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Comments (12)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
5 years ago
a celosia of some type? ... ken

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=puprle+celosia&t=ffcm&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
5 years ago
btw .. a cocks comb.. is also a celosia .... though common names can be tricky ...

check out the latin names at this link ... and flip to the images side ... ken

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=cockscomb+flowers&t=ffcm&ia=web
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not acai. the color of the 'tentacles' where the fruits are attached are a light brown/white color on acai palms. acai is also a clumping palm, so did you notice multiple trunks coming out of a single root system? also acai is a tall palm (60+ feet) so it wouldnt fruit until its well overhead. it does have a slender trunk though like the photo. and finally to truly identify palms youll need to look at the leaves aswell as the fruit and fruit clusters. beautiful palm though
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dbarron
5 years ago
It's pretty useless to ask w/o a photo.
yoyobon_gw
Original Author
5 years ago
As useless goes, it is, isn't it.
StevePA6a
5 years ago
Could it be an amaranthus?
NHBabs z4b-5a NH
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Or perhaps an ornamental sorghum.

Try doing a web image search or the plants suggested as well as cockscomb plant to see if any resemble what you saw.
User
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Its not a perennial but look up grain Amaranth and see if it fits. There is a deep dark maroon type.
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
5 years ago
If the leaves really are spear shaped it doesn’t sound like Amaranth. It has to be a monocot, something like a bulb or a grass. Yoyobon, can you describe these leaves in more detail?

And so far you haven’t given us any idea of where this is growing in the world or what sort of habitat it’s in. Garden? Wild? Forest? Meadow? Bog?

Could it even be a Typha?
yoyobon_gw
Original Author
5 years ago
Okay.......here's a photo !
yoyobon_gw
Original Author
5 years ago
THANK YOU !
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
5 years ago
Aha, spear HEAD shaped! I was thinking more iris, gladiolus sort of a leaf.

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