Jefferson planted seeds of this summer-flowering annual at Shadwell, his boyhood home, on April 2, 1767. A native of the Old World tropics, the globe amaranth was grown in Virginia by Williamsburg's John Custis as early as 1737, but it has long been cultivated for it's long-lasting flowers. At Monticello it was one of a limited number of heat-loving annuals suitable for the long Virginia summer. Today, it remains one of the most asked about flowers in the Monticello gardens.

Visit Monticello’s Online Shop to check for seeds or plants of Globe Amaranth.