Hardy plant with leaves both edible and suitable for dyeing.

Ajharakt blue (as a dye)
Blue amaranth (as a dye/ornamental)
Star collard - Gäldoren folk etymology (as if from vae "star") of Saras vai (the name of the plant)
Blue collard (as a vegetable)

Amaranthaceae

Caryophyllales

Amaranthus

Musty and slightly peppery

Height - 100 cm
Diameter - 30 cm

Leaves - dark blue-green veined with purple
Flowers - indigo to dark pink

Uncooked - very peppery and bitter
Cooked - slightly peppery and bitter, like broccoli leaves

Tiny, hard black seeds (like poppy seed)

Small, inedible red berries

Dyeing
Vai leaves are used in creating a deep, vibrant blue dye that bonds well to various natural fabrics. This dye (or fabric dyed with it) is known as Ajharakt Blue.

Food
The leaves, stems and fresh flowers are all consumed by the people of Ajharakt as it is a common plant (though not all plants are ideal to be used in dyeing).

A side effect is that the blue in the leaves builds up in the keratin in the hair and nails of those that consume it, so those who have eaten vai over an extended period of time will have a vibrant blue cast to their hair.

While vai can be grown year-round, it tends to sprout in late spring, flowers during summer and sheds its seeds throughout the autumn season.

Vai is pollinated by bees and other insects. Its tapering flower heads contain small black seeds and, when dead and dry, drop from the plant and break apart. The flower head is light enough to be carried further from the parent plant by the wind.

Vai is a common leafy green eaten in Ajharakt.