The amaranthus is a most unusual plant. I'm speaking here of the variety known as Love Lies Bleeding, which starts out with lots of waxy, light green foliage (a lot like a poinsettia) on bright red stems. Later in the season, the plant can produce long and ever-lengthening red flower spikes that look a lot like tails because they droop downward. In good conditions, amaranthus can grow to be 5' or more, with huge cascades of red flowers.