Prostrate pigweed

August 10, 2015

Amaranthus blitoides S. Wats.

Life cycle

Prostrate, mat-forming summer annual.

Leaves

Alternate and pale green to shiny, dark green leaves are oblong, oval to egg-shaped with pointed, rounded to slightly indented leaf tips. Leaf margins are smooth and usually whitish. Leaves are numerous at the stem ends.

Prostrate pigweed seedling.

Stems

Prostrate and nearly smooth, light green to reddish stems form thick, circular mats. Stems may be 1 to 3 feet long and mostly erect at the tip.

prostrate pigweed stem
Prostrate stem and shiny green foliage of prostrate pigweed.

Flowers and fruit

Small, greenish flowers are found in dense clusters in the leaf axils. Flowers have bracts as long as the sepals and yield small, round, shiny black seeds.

prostrate pigweed flowers
Prostrate pigweed foliage and flower clusters.

Reproduction

Seeds.

Print a PDF of this page: Prostrate pigweed

Back to identifying nursery weeds.

Accessibility Questions:

For questions about accessibility and/or if you need additional accommodations for a specific document, please send an email to ANR Communications & Marketing at anrcommunications@anr.msu.edu.

MSU Extension Integrated Pest Management