Chenopodiastrum murale (nettle-leaved goosefoot)

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Chenopodiastrum spp.

maple and nettle-leaved goosefoots

Amaranthaceae Europe, Asia, and North Africa

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

Overview

Chenopodiastrum spp. is a small genus of about five or six species of annual herbs in the family Amaranthaceae (the goosefoot group, formerly Chenopodiaceae), segregated from the broad genus Chenopodium spp.. The plants are native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa and have naturalized widely as weeds of disturbed ground. They are erect, branching annuals 1-3 ft (30-90 cm) tall, with broad, thin, often coarsely toothed or shallowly lobed leaves that recall maple or nettle foliage and may be mealy-coated when young. Tiny greenish flowers without petals are clustered in loose, branched spikes from the upper leaf axils and stem tips through summer and autumn. Each flower gives rise to a small, dry, one-seeded fruit, and a single plant can shed large numbers of seeds. The most familiar species are maple-leaved goosefoot C. hybridum and nettle-leaved goosefoot C. murale, both common weeds of gardens, fields, and waste places. Chenopodiastrum spp. grows quickly in full sun on fertile, disturbed soils and completes its life cycle in a single season. Like other goosefoots, the leaves contain oxalates and saponins and are of limited food value, and the plants can become weedy where they self-seed. Heavy seeding and rapid growth make them persistent in cultivated ground.

Native Range

Chenopodiastrum spp. is native to Europe, temperate and central Asia, and North Africa, and has spread as a naturalized weed across the Americas, Australia, and beyond. The plants grow on disturbed, nitrogen-rich ground such as cultivated fields, gardens, barnyards, roadsides, and waste places.

Suggested Uses

Chenopodiastrum spp. has little horticultural use and is generally regarded as a weed rather than a garden plant. The young leaves of some goosefoots have been eaten as a cooked green in times of scarcity, though oxalate content limits their use. The plants serve as food and cover for seed-eating birds and some insects in waste ground.

How to Identify

Identify Chenopodiastrum spp. by erect annual stems and broad, thin leaves that are coarsely toothed or lobed in a maple-leaf outline (C. hybridum) or a nettle-like shape (C. murale). Small, petalless green flowers cluster in branched spikes at the stem tips and leaf axils. The mealy young growth and tiny one-seeded fruits place it among the goosefoots, near Chenopodium spp..

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1' - 3'

Width/Spread8" - 1'6"

Colors

Flower Colors

green

Foliage Colors

green

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~12 weeks

Summer Fall

Chenopodiastrum spp. flowers from summer into autumn, generally June to October, the tiny green flowers easy to overlook in branched clusters. Bloom is followed quickly by ripening seed, often within a few weeks. Plants flower and seed until frost ends the season.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 5-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 8.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam sand clay

Drainageaverage

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Chenopodiastrum spp. is not grown as a crop or ornamental and is usually managed as a weed of cultivated and disturbed ground. The seeds germinate readily on fertile, recently disturbed soil in spring and summer, and plants grow quickly in full sun with ample nitrogen. Because each plant sheds many long-lived seeds, populations build in gardens and fields where the soil is regularly turned. Removing young plants before they set seed, together with covering bare fertile soil, reduces their spread. The foliage contains oxalates and saponins, so it is of limited value as food or forage and can affect livestock if eaten in quantity. Few measures beyond cultivation, mulching, and hand-weeding are needed to hold it in check.

Pruning

Chenopodiastrum spp. is not pruned. As a weedy annual it is pulled or hoed out, ideally before flowering, to stop it setting seed. Cut or broken plants can resprout from the base if the roots remain in moist soil.