Wild and Weedy Wednesday: White Goosefoot

This is one of the most common weeds that pops up in my flower beds and vegetable garden all through the year. So common and so unspectacular in fact that I have never bothered to identify it. Until now! Its common name is Goosefoot, or White Goosefoot, but there are many other regional names. Another common name is Lamb’s Quarters. (Any ideas why?!) Botanically it is called Chenopodium album, and is widespread across all of Europe, Asia and North America.

Definitely a weed, not a wild flower! Here it is growing in my strawberry bed, where I also grow Coriander (Cilantro) and salad greens.

In most parts of the world it is treated as a pesky weed in crop fields. In India however, it is harvested as a kind of spinach. Maybe I should try cooking some up one day! It is very high in vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin C, A and Calcium.

Goosefoot grows upright and produces a long white flower bud that looks almost as if it has mildew. I have seen them up to a metre tall, but I usually pull them up before they even start budding. And if they are mown down they branch out like this one, trying to creep into my new flower bed…

In some years I have seen them with a distinct reddish tinge to them which makes them look much prettier. Perhaps I will come across one later in the year. It is the food plant of several moths/butterflies that I have seen here, such as Skippers and Plume Moths.

Do you recognize this plant? I’ll bet it has made an appearance in your garden at some stage. Do let me know if you have seen it!

Thanks for reading, and Happy Weeding!