Amaranthus retroflexus

Red-root Amaranth, Pigweed

AmaranthaceaeLeavesSeeds/NutsScore: 67/100Potential hazards — see below

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(c) Alexander Rumpel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Alexander Rumpel

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(c) Марина Горбунова-Ëлкина, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Марина Горбунова-Ëлкина

What to Eat

Edible parts: Leaves, Seeds

Common amaranth provides edible leaves and seeds. The young leaves are highly nutritious and tender, suitable for eating raw in salads or cooked as a leafy vegetable. Their flavor is mild and spinach-like with nettle-like undertones; cooked, they maintain a soft texture without sliminess, and even the young stalks remain tender. The leaves may contain nitrates and oxalates, but levels are generally too low to pose a problem in a normal diet, and brief boiling can reduce nitrates further. The leaves are very rich in iron and a good source of vitamins A and C. The seeds are small — about 1mm in diameter — rounded, and usually reddish-brown to black. Prolific and easy to harvest, they can be eaten raw or cooked, ground into a powder for use as a cereal substitute, or sprouted and added to salads. Roasting the seed before grinding greatly improves the flavor, and ground seed is often added to maize meal. Cooked whole, the seeds become very gelatinous, though it is difficult to crush all of them in the mouth and some will pass through the digestive system without being assimilated. Seeds store well when dry.

Known Hazards

No species of genus Amaranthus is known to be poisonous to humans, but the leaves of A. retroflexus contain oxalic acid and may contain nitrates if grown in nitrate-rich soils. Like many other species of Amaranthus, this plant may be harmful and even deadly when fed to cattle and pigs in large amounts over several days. Such forage may cause fatal nephrotoxicity, presumably because of its high oxalate content. Other symptoms, such as bloat or methylglobineamia in the most severe cases, might reflect its high nitrate content.

Where to Find It

A temperate and Mediterranean plant. It grows in waste land and amongst crops in most temperate regions of the world. It will grow in the tropics. It can grow in arid places. It grows in Sichuan.

Afghanistan, Africa, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Asia, Australia, Austria, Balkans, Bolivia, Bosnia, Brazil, Britain, Bulgaria, Canada, Caucasus, Central Asia, China, Croatia Cyprus, Czech Republic, East Africa, Ecuador, Egypt, Europe, France, Georgia, Greece, Hawaii, Indochina, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mediterranean, Mexico*, Middle East, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, North Africa, North America, Pacific, Pakistan, Romania, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, Sicily, Slovenia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Spain, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tibet, Tunisia, Turkey, Türkiye, USA, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Countries: Andorra, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Antigua & Barbuda, Albania, Armenia, Angola, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Barbados, Bangladesh, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Bulgaria, Bahrain, Burundi, Benin, Brunei, Bolivia, Brazil, Bahamas, Bhutan, Botswana, Belarus, Belize, Canada, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Switzerland, Cote d'Ivoire, Chile, Cameroon, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cape Verde, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Djibouti, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Algeria, Ecuador, Estonia, Egypt, Eritrea, Spain, Ethiopia, Finland, Fiji, Micronesia, France, Gabon, United Kingdom, Grenada, Georgia, French Guiana, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Croatia, Haiti, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Iceland, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Japan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Kiribati, Comoros, St Kitts & Nevis, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, St Lucia, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Lesotho, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Libya, Morocco, Monaco, Moldova, Montenegro, Madagascar, Marshall Islands, North Macedonia, Mali, Myanmar, Mongolia, Mauritania, Malta, Mauritius, Maldives, Malawi, Mexico, Malaysia, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Nicaragua, Netherlands, Norway, Nepal, Nauru, New Zealand, Oman, Panama, Peru, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pakistan, Poland, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Palau, Paraguay, Qatar, Romania, Serbia, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Seychelles, Sudan, Sweden, Singapore, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sierra Leone, San Marino, Senegal, Somalia, Suriname, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, El Salvador, Syria, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Tonga, Turkey, Trinidad & Tobago, Tuvalu, Taiwan, Tanzania, Ukraine, Uganda, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, St Vincent, Venezuela, Vietnam, Vanuatu, Samoa, Yemen, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How to Identify

An annual herb which grows to 60-90 cm high. It has furry stems. The root is usually rosy red. The leaves and stems are often quite red in colour. The leaves are oval or sword shaped. The seed spikes are green and bristly. These can be at the top of the plant or in the axils of leaves.

Nutrition Score: 67/100

Part	Moisture	kJ	kcal	Protein	Vit A	Vit C	Iron	Zinc
Seeds	10.3	1944	474	17.3	—	—	101	9.7
Leaves	93.2	—	—	1.6	—	—	—	—

How to Grow

Prefers a well-drained fertile soil in a sunny position. Requires a hot sheltered position if it is to do well. Plants should not be given inorganic fertilizers, see notes above on toxicity. A good companion for potatoes, onions, corn, tomatoes, peppers and aubergines. A deep rooted plant, bringing up minerals from lower levels of the soil. Formerly cultivated as a food crop by the N. American Indians. Most if not all members of this genus photosynthesize by a more efficient method than most plants. Called the 'C4 carbon-fixation pathway', this process is particularly efficient at high temperatures, in bright sunlight and under dry conditions. In garden design, as well as the above-ground architecture of a plant, root structure considerations help in choosing plants that work together for their optimal soil requirements including nutrients and water. The predictable growth behaviour makes it easier to maintain without having to apply containment methods. Annual, frost-tender. Best suited to zones 5–9, though it will self-seed and reappear wherever summers are warm. Growing Conditions: Sun: Thrives in full sun. Soil: Extremely adaptable, tolerating a wide range of soils including poor or disturbed ground. Moisture: Grows well with summer rainfall but is drought-tolerant once established. Growth Habit: Upright annual, usually 0.5–2 m tall, with coarse, reddish stems and dense, greenish flower spikes that turn brown when seeds mature.

Propagation: Sow seed in late spring in situ. An earlier sowing can be made in a greenhouse, with plants put out after the last expected frosts. Germination is usually rapid and good when the soil is warm, and a drop in temperature overnight aids germination. Cuttings of growing plants root easily.

Medicinal Uses

A tea made from the leaves is astringent and used in the treatment of profuse menstruation, intestinal bleeding, and diarrhoea. An infusion has also been used to treat hoarseness.

Other Uses

Yellow and green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant. When fed to cattle and pigs in large amounts, this plant — like many other amaranth species — may be harmful and even deadly. Supplied in moderation, however, it is regarded as an exceptionally nutritious fodder. This species is also noted as a dynamic accumulator and is suited to food forest plantings.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Amaranthus retroflexus is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae with several common names, including red-root amaranth, redroot pigweed, red-rooted pigweed, common amaranth, pigweed amaranth, and common tumbleweed. Outside of its native range, it is considered a weed. Leaves, stems and seeds may be eaten raw and cooked, the leaves have a high nutritional value. When grown on nitrogen-rich soils they are known to concentrate nitrates in the leaves, especially noticeable on land where nitrate fertilizer is used.

Other Information

Formerly cultivated as a food crop by the N. American Indians. It is eaten in Turkey. It is sold in local markets.

Notes

There are about 60 Amaranthus species.

Names & Synonyms

Agghijtone, Anamalitalita, Anatarika, Arbai, Bozoglan, Den tram, Fan zhi xian, Havakatar, Horoz ibigi, Kirmizi koklu tilki kuyrugu, Kizilbacak, Kizilot, Koksor, Krasni koren, Krvavordeči ščir, Laskavec ohnuty, Legendur, Lippia, Llaboda, Obiknoven shtir, Pasa pancan, Phak khom, Reverse branch amaranth, Sa die, Selkok, Sermask, Silqvas, Sipirgeyi sor, Sirken, Stir, Tar, Tar gor, Xian cai

Amaranthus delilei Loret

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