Amaranthus spp.
Origin: Cameroon
Improvement status: Landrace
Seeds per packet: ~90
Germination tested 12/2023: 74%
Life cycle: Annual
EFN INTRODUCTION. 'Folong' is a delicious vegetable-type amaranth from Cameroon with large, tender, mild-flavored leaves, and plentiful edible black seeds as well. Leaves, stems, and flower-heads are yellowish green, though some with a bit of pink pigmentation may crop up (we are offering a "pink blush" single-plant-selection this year as well). While most amaranth has an earthy flavor that some people find unpleasant, this African variety has little to none of that flavor, especially after cooking. Sauteed with garlic, you might just think it's the best spinach you've ever had! This variety will make excellent callaloo too.
These seeds were grown in collaboration with our partners at The Seed Farm at Princeton University, from stock-seed collected in Cameroon by our friend and Cooperative Gardens Commission colleague Marissa Donohue in 2021.
GROWING TIPS: Start in flats a few weeks before last frost or direct sow after frost danger has passed. Seedlings start out very tiny, and they are delicate for the first week or two, but soon after that they explode. Expect plants to grow from 4 to 6 feet tall.
