In early September 2026, I went to the Sunken Garden at San Gabriel Park in Georgetown, Texas. The garden is small but offers a good variety of plants and flowers. Although I often go there to photograph pollinators, nature often has other plans. Whatever I end up photographing, it’s always a win-win situation. On this particular late afternoon, I wanted to practice using a ring flash I had recently bought. Here are a few macro shots featuring the Rio Grande Globe Amaranth (Gomphrena haageana).
Macro photographs always reveal much more than we see with the naked eye. With the addition of a ring flash, I found another layer I wasn’t expecting. The colors were more vibrant and richer — so much so that I pulled down the saturation slider in Lightroom because I thought they were too intense.
The header image presented me with fireworks. Look at the flower head: those tiny, star-shaped yellow florets emerging from the bright, papery bracts are the true flowers. The second photo shows a similar view of those flowers.
A Flower Made of Paper
What looks like a single flower is actually a dense head of dozens of tiny flowers. Each one is tucked between stiff, papery bracts that hold their color long after the flowers fade. That is why globe amaranths are favorites for dried arrangements — the “petals” are already dry to the touch while the plant is alive. As the head ages, the lower bracts fade to a straw color, which you can see at the base of the flower heads in the first two photos, while fresh red bracts keep opening at the top.
Gomphrena belongs to the amaranth family (Amaranthaceae), the same family as pigweed, quinoa, and spinach. Most gardeners know its cousin, the common globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa), a tropical annual with purple, pink, or white button flowers. The Rio Grande Globe Amaranth is different: it is a perennial that grows from a tuberous root, with slender, hairy, lance-shaped leaves and flower heads about 3/4 to 1 inch (2 to 2.5 cm) across. Plants usually stand 6 to 18 inches (15 to 45 cm) tall.
Why “Rio Grande”?
The name points to where this plant comes from. Gomphrena haageana is native to the borderlands along the Rio Grande — western and central Texas (including the Edwards Plateau), southern New Mexico, and the Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Sonora. In the wild, it grows on rocky banks and in dry shrubland, often on caliche and clay soils, which makes it remarkably drought- and heat-tolerant. Its common name, “Rio Grande,” sets this native apart from the more familiar tropical globe amaranth sold in garden centers.
Gardeners may also know it by a cultivar name: ‘Strawberry Fields,’ a popular red-flowered selection of this species grown for gardens and cut flowers.
Small Flower, Big Value
Rio Grande Globe Amaranth blooms in the fall, roughly September through November, just as many other plants wind down. Its nectar and pollen draw butterflies and other pollinators, and birds eat the seeds later in the season. For a Texas garden, it checks every box: full sun, little water, poor soil, and long-lasting color.
As for the last two images, I look at those flowers and see a little center like a rose. When I changed the composition of that single flower, it took on the look of a windmill, the bracts spiraling out from the center.
That is the story behind the shots. For more like this, enjoy these related stories: FlowerHour, Georgetown, Macros, Rio Grande Globe Amaranth, San Gabriel Park, Sunken Garden, Texas, and Wildflowers. Until the next shoot, keep chasing the light and the wonders it reveals.
- Posted for Terri’s Flower Hour #51 (hosted by Pam of Enchanting Essex).
- Native Plant Society of Texas – Rio Grande Globe Amaranth (Gomphrena haageana): https://www.npsot.org/posts/native-plant/gomphrena-haageana/
- Flora of North America – Gomphrena haageana: https://floranorthamerica.org/Gomphrena%20haageana
- Wikipedia – Gomphrena haageana: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gomphrena_haageana
- Desert Tropicals – Rio Grande Globe Amaranth: https://desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Amaranthaceae/Gomphrena_haageana.html
- Johnny’s Selected Seeds – Strawberry Fields Gomphrena: https://www.johnnyseeds.com/flowers/gomphrena-globe-amaranth/strawberry-fields-gomphrena-seed-1512.html
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Steve Schwartzman
You’ve made good use of your new ring flash, which comes with a passport to travel to the world of dark-background portraits.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Steve. I’m still not at your level, but I’m learning.
Anita
Beautiful macro shots, Egídio! The vivid red and yellow colours are stunning, and I love how the centre resembles a tiny rose. As I’ve said before, nature never ceases to surprise us!
Egidio Leitao
I couldn’t have said it any better, Anita. There’s always a surprise. Thanks for commenting.
heavenlyraindrops
Spectacular. The pinwheel is my favorite. And the top one does look like fireworks.
Egidio Leitao
The joys of macro photography are wonderful. Thanks for writing, Sue.
PR
That’s a gorgeous flower!
Egidio Leitao
I agree with you. Seeing it through macros brought a new level of beauty I had not noticed before. Thanks for the note.
Tra Italia e Finlandia
Che spettacolo!
Egidio Leitao
Grazie mille, Luisella. Buon weekend.
Writing to Freedom
Beautiful flower and images.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Brad. I appreciate your feedback.
shoestringdiary
Interesting plant! Great captures, esp. the last one where the yellow center takes on an otherwordly glow.
Egidio Leitao
The plant is really interesting and pretty. Thanks for commenting, Leo.
Toonsarah
A fascinating plant – thank you for sharing it 😀
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for your comment, Sarah.
margaret21
That amaranth definitely punches above its weight. What a great plant to have around at this time of year.
Egidio Leitao
It always grabs my attention any time I see it. Thanks for writing.
pamperrault21
Now that’s a gem! I’ve never seen one of those before, and what a difference angle makes! Lovely post! pp
Egidio Leitao
I’m glad it is something new for you and that you liked it. Thank you.