Prostrate Pigweed

Weeds

spreading pigweed, prostrate amaranth, mat amaranth

Amaranthus blitoides

Photos

Prostrate Pigweed5.jpg

Prostrate pigweed is a native mat-forming summer annual weed that invades thin, damaged or under-fertilized lawns. It is common in areas with disturbed soils or neglected areas. Prostrate pigweed lacks the hairs common to redroot pigweed and has smooth leaves.

  • Crops Affected: turf

    Management

    Prostrate pigweed is a small-seeded summer annual weed that needs soil disruption to expose the seed and encourage germination. Prostrate pigweed is most common in new establishments where the turfgrass is not very dense or competitive. It can be difficult to remove prostrate pigweed with mowing due to its low growth habit. It will not persist more than one season if the turf is encouraged to fill-in during the fall after the pigweed has completed its lifecycle. Prostrate pigweed re-establishes by seed each season. For this reason, it is unlikely that redroot pigweed will invade a thick vigorous turf in the year after establishment. This is a case where improved turfgrass vigor and density is extremely effective at limiting future populations.

    Similar Species

    Prostrate pigweed can be confused with other members of the Amaranth family. It is important to remember that prostrate pigweed is glabrous (no hairs) and does not produce terminal seed spikes. The flowers on prostrate pigweed will be in axillary clusters. The leaves on prostrate pigweed have smooth margins (entire). The leaves on redroot pigweed are ovate (wider at the base) and have wavy margins.

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