Common Lambsquarters—Chenopodium album

Abundant throughout North America, common lambsquarters is a rapidly growing summer annual that prefers rich soils, but will grow in almost any disturbed soil. Found along roads, in open fields, streambeds, lawns and vegetable gardens.

lambsquarters plant
Plants grow 3 to 4 feet tall. They blossom June to September, each producing thousands of seeds. Stems are green with reddish to purplish streaks. In the fall leaves turn crimson.

lambsquarters leaves
Leaves are highly variable from triangular- to diamond-shaped, somewhat toothed to mostly smooth. Light green on top, they have a distinctive white scale on the underside.

lambsquarters flower
Flowers are green and very small, growing in dense clusters at the tips of the main stems and at branch junctions. Flowers change to tiny fruits with even tinier black seeds.

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[Photos, left to right: Richard Old, XID Services, Inc., Bugwood.org; Bonnie Million, National Park Service, Bugwood.org; Joseph M. DiTomaso, University of California - Davis, Bugwood.org]