Goosefoot is an annual weed in the amaranth (Amaranthaceae) family and is native to Eurasia. It naturalizes easily and it is found in disturbed sites, like roadsides, gravel pits, empty lots and occasionally in wetland areas. It has naturalized in much of the USA and Mexico. The plant can grow to 2 feet tall and is freely branched from the base. The entire plant is covered in sticky glandular hairs. Goosefoot blooms during the summer and sets many seeds. The pinnately lobed leaves help to identify this plant from the related Chenopodium species. It tolerates a variety of soils and full sun. The plant is not used in the ornamental garden but can be grown for use as a flavoring agent in cooking. It has also been used medicinally in the past. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Weedy
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil drainage
Moist | Occasionally Dry | Occasionally Wet
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in. | Width: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Multi-stemmed
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf margin
Entire; Lobed; Serrate
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Ovate to oblong green leaves are pinnately lobbed with shallow teeth and a wedge-shaped base. Upper leaves are usually entire. They are 1/2 to 1 & 1/2 inches long and 1/4 to 1 inch wide. Covered in sticky glandular hairs
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Flower value
Fragrant; Good Dried
Flower form
Cyme; Panicle
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Petaless, dense fragrant tiny green-yellow flowers appear in axillary cymes in a long, terminal panicle in June-September. Green calyx with 5 lobes cups the flowers. Bracts are leaf-like but may be absent
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit color
Black; Green
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Matures from green to blackish and loosely encases the flat oval seeds
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Freely branched from base and erect to ascending The stem is ridged with sticky glandular hairs
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Europe, Asia
Distribution
Has naturalized in much of the USA
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Leaves
Fruit type
Achene
Edibility
Leaves can be used in cooking in moderation for flavoring.
Uses (ethnobotany)
Used medicinally for its diuretic, antispasmodic, carminative, and antidiarrhoeic properties
Landscape Use
Garden tags
#annual weed #disturbed areas #problem for cats #problem for dogs #problem for horses #summer flowers #full sun #high maintenance
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Problem for Cats; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses; Weedy