Common Lambsquarters

(Chenopodium album L.)

Chenopodiaceae (Goosefoot Family)

▲ seedling

▲young plant

 

▲▼ characteristic whitish coating on new leaves

▲ striped stems

▲▼ mature plants

▲▼mature plants

Lambsquarters: (pp. 254-255, Weeds of the Great Plains; pp. 204-205, Weeds of the Northeast)

o        summer annual with medium to  pale green and red-striped stems, often much branched, growing 1-6’ tall

o        leaves shaped like a goose foot, often with whitish powdery coating near stem tips

o        is a major agronomic crop weed, plus found in vegetable gardens and non-crop areas

o        prefers fertile, cultivated soils—good  indicator of good soil for growing

o        leaves are edible when young

o        similar to velvetleaf in crop damage potential

o        there are a number of close, similar-appearing, yet different species of “lambsquarters” or “goosefoot” that might be found in various areas of the midwest, and where lambsquarters-like weeds appear to be a serious crop problem, exact identification should be determined to be sure control methods will be most effective