Palmer Amaranth

(Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats.)

Amaranthaceae (Pigweed Family)

▲ ▼ young plants

▲ young, maturing plant

▲ ▼ mature plants

▲ flower spikes of mature plant

Palmer Amaranth:  (mentioned on p. 33 in Weeds of the Great Plains—not in Weeds of the Northeast)

o       warm-season, aggressive annual weed, with upright pyramidal growth habit

o       similar to redroot pigweed in appearance, except:

o       leaves have longer petioles and may also have silvery “V” marking (not always)

o       stems are not rough-textured or hairy

o       has longer terminal inflorescences without spiny bracts sticking out

o       inflorescences may be male or female

o       male inflorescences often thicker looking than female plant flowers

o       common in cultivated crops, roadsides, non-crop  land

o       can readily hybridize with other pigweeds, resulting in weeds with varying pigweed/amaranth characteristics

o       can develop colonies of herbicide-resistant plants fairly easily where repeated use of one or similar herbicides is practiced