Lamb’s Quarters

 

Ecological Considerations:

Chenopodium album, commonly known as Lambs Quarters, is a summer annual, usually blooming from mid-summer through the fall.  It usually grows to about 4 feet high. Lambs Quarters looks dusty from a distance owing to the white coating on the leaves. When it is moist, water beads up and runs off. The leaves resemble the shape of a goosefoot. They are light green on the top and whitish underneath and can grow up to 4 inches long.

The stems are stout, angular, and variably colored, ranging from light blue-green to striped with purple and green.  The root system consists of a shore, stout taproot.

Lambs Quarters produces tiny flowers that form in clusters on top of spikes. The flowers are small, greenish, and densely grouped together into small, thick, granular clusters along the main stem and upper branches. The flowers are wind-pollinated and have five green sepals but no petals. They produce small seeds rounded in outline and somewhat flattened, 1/25-1/16″ in diameter.

Lamb’s Quarter thrives on disturbed land, in forest clearings, and fields. It is a hardy plant. The leaves of Lamb’s Quarter are eaten by various caterpillars and beetles and the seeds are eaten by various mice, squirrels and birds.

The leaves, shoots, seeds, and flowers of Lamb’s Quarters are edible, however saponins in the seeds are potentially toxic and so should not be consumed in excess. Lamb’s quarters contain some oxalic acid therefore when eating this raw, only small quantities are recommended. Cooking will remove this acid. Lamb’s Quarter can be eaten in salads or added to smoothies and juices. Steaming this edible weed is one method of cooking, or it can be added to soups, sautés and much more.

Problems Posed by the Plant:

Native Species affected by this Plant:

Factors Affording a Competitive Advantage to this Plant:

A single plant can produce 50,000 or more seeds.

Propagation Mechanisms and Related Issues Affecting Efforts to Remove and/or Eliminate this Plant from Taylor Point:

Lamb’s Quarters plant spreads by reseeding itself, sometimes forming large colonies. The seeds can be remain viable in the soil for 40 years.

Documented Best Removal Practices/Options and Pros and Cons of Options:

They are easiest to manage by hand-pulling when they are small and before they have flowered and set seed. Tilling mature plants disrupts the roots or mowing the tops of plants can reduce seed production.

 

Additional Photos:

Sources cited:

North Carolina State
Illinois Wildflowers
Edible Wild Food

Key Words:

Chenopodium album
Lambs Quarters
Bacon Weed
Fat Hen
Goosefoot
Pigweed