Redroot Pigweed
Redroot Pigweed
Amaranthus retroflexus L.
Amaranthaceae (Pigweed Family)
▲ seedling
▲ ▼ young plants
▲ ▼ mature plants
▲ ▼ flowering plants
▲ ▼ flowering plants
▲ ▼ flowering plants
▲ ▼ inflorescences
▲ ▼ inflorescences
▲ ▼ inflorescences
▲ "reddish" root
Amaranthus retroflexus: (Bayer Code: AMARE; US Code AMRE)
- Warm-season, aggressive annual weed with upright to branching growth habit
- Stems & leaves have rough or hairy texture to them
- Roots and stem bases tend to be pinkish or red
- Leaves oval with prominent sunken veining
- Terminal inflorescence is thick with sharp bracts sticking out
- Common in all cultivated crops, disturbed sites, non-crop land
- Can accumulate nitrates to toxic levels for grazing cattle
- Produces up to 117,000 seeds/plant in a growing season
- Seed can survive 40 years buried in soil
- Can reduce yield of corn by 25-30% if only 1 plant per foot of row
(Updated January 15, 2019)