Purple Stem Plant What Is It

This purple stem plant appeared in a rock bed that is just below my hummingbird feeders, it is absolutley beautiful, grew fast and then flowered. I am in northern Alberta and everyoneI have talked to has never seen this plant. We also had smaller plants that we tried to transplant before they got to big so far it has worked but they are not growing as fast. If anyone one knows what this is, can I move it. Is it an annual or a perennial.

Thanks

 

Looks like an amaranthus, annual. Very pretty!

 

Looks like some type of Amaranthus (amaranth), so it is probably an annual. Maybe you can collect seeds, although it may spread (more than you want) on its own.

 

Thank you for the prompt response. One more quick question, is this something that normally grows in northern alberta (north of Edmonton) no one in this area has seen one before

 

The Devonian Garden, of the University of Alberta, listed the following among its 2006 seeds, so they must all grow well in Northern Alberta:

Amaranthus cruentus ‘Golden Spike’ – Love-lies-bleeding The erect flower spikes of this variety are a golden yellow. Grow in a well-drained sandy loam in full sun. (GRT)

Amaranthus cruentus ‘Magic Fountains Burgundy’ – Love-lies-bleeding A smaller variety than the above, growing to 90cm, with green foliage and shorter, erect, burgundy flower spikes. Grow as above.

Amaranthus hypochondriacus ‘Blood Red’ - Love-lies-bleeding Deep red, tiny flowers occur on erect, plume-like stems, blooming from early to late summer. Ht. to 1.2m. Grow as above.

Amaranthus paniculatus – Love-lies-bleeding A striking plant with long, cylindrical, pendent ropes of deep purple, dark red or sometimes green flowers, blooming from early summer to autumn. Ht. to 2m. Grow as above.

 

They're pretty common in Edmonton, actually. I used to have a whole bed of them, where they'd just re-seed themselves for the next year. You're pretty close to cool weather to transplant that one, but it can be done. The caution is, though, to make sure that you put it somewhere that you want it to spread. Because it will. I have friends who were driven to roundup by their amaranths.