Red and green are the christmas colors — the palette of every wreath, ribbon, and holiday table since anyone can remember. This December, you can grow both of them on your kitchen windowsill and put them on the Christmas Day dinner plate.
Amaranth Garnet Red produces deep ruby leaves that look like something cut from velvet. Pea shoots grow bright, trailing green tendrils that curl naturally around whatever they touch. Together, they're the most alive and vibrant christmas greens you'll put anywhere near a holiday table — and they take about two weeks to grow from seed.
Plant by December 1. Harvest by Christmas. Here's how.
The Christmas Colors: What These Two Varieties Actually Look Like
Most indoor growers know microgreens for their flavor first. With these two varieties, the visual case is equally strong.
Amaranth Garnet Red is deep ruby-red from root to leaf tip — the exact shade of Christmas ribbon. In a cluster on a plate, it looks almost too dramatic to be a plant. The stems hold a light green undertone against the dark red, which gives it a two-tone depth that photographs beautifully. It's the microgreen people point at and ask about before they taste it.
Pea shoots are the opposite in color and energy — bright, almost electric green, with delicate curling tendrils that reach upward and outward as they grow. They have the lush, abundant feel of fresh spring growth, which makes them a visual counterpoint to amaranth's intensity. Side by side, the red-and-green contrast is immediate and striking.
This isn't incidental. Red and green are culturally coded as Christmas. When these two microgreens appear on the same plate — a plate you grew yourself — it reads as intentional in a way no store-bought garnish ever does.
Why These Two Varieties Were Made for December Growing
December is not, on paper, a great month for growing. The days are short, the light is low, and most garden-oriented projects are on hold. But microgreens are a rare exception — and these two varieties thrive in exactly the conditions December offers.
Both amaranth and pea shoots grow comfortably on a bright windowsill with indirect winter light. Neither requires a grow light to reach harvest-ready in the standard timeframe. The cool indoor temperatures of December actually slow bolting and keep the greens tender longer than they might in summer.
More importantly: both varieties deliver on the promise of microgreens growing. They're forgiving for first-time growers, reliable with standard equipment, and fast enough that planting in early December produces a harvest well before Christmas Day.
For a full guide to growing year-round indoors, see How to Grow Microgreens in Fall and Winter (Year-Round Fresh Greens).
Plant December 1 — Harvest by Christmas Day
The planting window for a Christmas Day harvest is wider than most growers expect. Here's the timing for each variety:
| Variety | Days to Harvest | Plant By | Harvest Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amaranth Garnet Red | 12–14 days | December 11 | December 23–25 |
| Pea Shoots | 10–12 days | December 13 | December 23–25 |
To have both on the table on Christmas Day, plant amaranth on December 11 and pea shoots on December 13. That gives you a synchronized harvest window of December 23–25 with a natural 2-day buffer for either direction.
For a first practice grow before Christmas — highly recommended for first-time growers — plant both on December 1. Your practice harvest arrives around December 13–15, which also makes a beautiful pre-Christmas table addition for any holiday gatherings you host beforehand.
The key insight: two sequential plantings, two weeks apart, give you microgreens throughout the entire Christmas holiday period. Plant December 1, harvest December 13–15. Plant again December 11–13, harvest December 23–25. The windowsill is never empty.
For everything you need to know about growing pea shoots specifically, see Pea Shoot Microgreens: The Complete Beginner's Growing Guide.
How to Use Them on the Christmas Table
Growing them is the easy part. The real reward is in how they transform the holiday meal.
Amaranth Garnet Red is best used as a garnish that stops the eye first. A small cluster on top of a roast beef or duck — placed at the plate's focal point — adds a jewel-toned red note that signals care and intention. It also works beautifully on holiday appetizer boards (the red-on-pale-cheese contrast is striking), on smoked salmon or gravlax, and as a finishing element on creamy winter soups.
The flavor is mild and slightly earthy — present but not distracting. It earns its place visually first, then adds a gentle green note to each bite.
Pea shoots (sometimes called pea tendrils) are more versatile in the kitchen. Their light sweetness and delicate texture make them work across nearly every course. Toss a handful into a winter salad to add fresh greens without dressing competition. Scatter them over a Christmas starter like blinis with crème fraîche. Use them as a bed under sliced roast turkey or alongside a cheese board.
They wilt quickly with heat, so add them after cooking — always at the finish, never in the pan.
On the same plate: a small cluster of each variety, placed side by side, creates the Christmas palette without any further decoration. That's the moment the growing project pays off.
Red Amaranth vs. Pea Shoots — Side-by-Side Comparison
| Amaranth Garnet Red | Pea Shoots | |
|---|---|---|
| Color | Deep ruby red, light green stems | Bright emerald green |
| Days to harvest | 12–14 days | 10–12 days |
| Flavor | Mild, slightly earthy | Light, fresh, mildly sweet |
| Texture | Delicate, velvety leaves | Tender with curling tendrils |
| Best use | Garnish, apps, cheese boards | Salads, starters, roast plates |
| Visual impact | High — dramatic focal point | Medium — fresh volume fill |
| Difficulty | Easy | Very easy |
Both varieties are ideal for growers at any level. Pea shoots are the more forgiving of the two — faster, higher-yielding per tray, and nearly impossible to fail with standard microgreens equipment. Amaranth is slightly more sensitive to overwatering during germination but rewards the extra care with its signature color payoff.
Start Your Festive Indoor Garden
Everything you need for this December project ships in one order. The Microgreens Starter Kit ($24.99) provides the growing tray, humidity dome, and organic grow mat. Add Amaranth Garnet Red seeds ($3.99) and Pea Shoot seeds ($3.99), and your festive indoor garden is complete for under $33.
Order the seeds and kit together, and you'll be ready to plant on December 1 with room to spare. For everything else you might want to grow through December and January, the Winter Microgreens guide covers the full season.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the latest I can plant for a Christmas Day harvest?
Pea shoots need 10–12 days, so the latest safe plant date is December 13. Amaranth needs 12–14 days, so plant by December 11. Planting earlier (December 1–5) gives you a practice harvest mid-month plus time for a second Christmas Day crop.
Can I grow both varieties in the same tray?
It's better to keep them separate. Amaranth and pea shoots have slightly different moisture needs during germination, and their different heights make harvesting awkward in a shared tray. Use two trays — one for each variety — and stagger the planting dates per the timeline above.
Do they need full sunlight in December?
Bright indirect light is enough for microgreens. A south- or west-facing windowsill works well. If your windows are limited, a simple desk lamp or basic LED grow light for 12–14 hours per day will work. Microgreens don't need the light intensity that full-size plants require.
What if I miss the December 1 window?
Any planting between December 1 and December 13 can yield a Christmas harvest — adjust per the table above. If December 25 passes, both varieties make a beautiful New Year's Day grow project. The timing pressure is for Christmas Day specifically; outside that, there's no wrong time.
Can I give this as a Christmas gift?
Yes — the Microgreens Starter Kit with an Amaranth and Pea Shoot seed pack tucked inside makes a complete, self-contained gift. Wrap the box, include a printed version of the planting timeline, and the recipient has everything they need for their own Christmas-color grow.
The Most Alive Thing on the Christmas Table
Every Christmas table has candles, evergreen, and red ribbon. Yours will also have living plants — red and green microgreens you grew yourself, harvested that morning, placed on a plate that night.
That's a detail people remember. It's also a surprisingly easy project for December. Two seed packs, one kit, fourteen days.
Author: Aquager · Published: June 7, 2026 · Updated: June 7, 2026
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