Producers, home-owners, and crop scouts are being encouraged to keep an eye out for Palmer amaranth this time of year.
Palmer amaranth can be identified by the following characteristics:
- The green leaves are smooth and arranged in an alternate pattern that grows symmetrically around the stem. The leaves are oval to diamond or triangle shaped.
- The leaves of some Palmer amaranth plants have a whitish, V-shaped mark on them. Not all Palmer amaranth plants display this characteristic.
- Palmer amaranth looks similar to our native pigweeds such as waterhemp, Powell’s amaranth, and redroot and smooth pigweeds. Here are some distinguishing characteristics:
- Redroot and smooth pigweeds have fine hairs on their stems and leaves. Palmer amaranth and waterhemp do not have these hairs.
- The petiole (stalk connecting a leaf to the stem) is longer than the length of the leaf. For waterhemp, the petiole will be only half the length of the leaf.
- Seedhead spikes on female Palmer amaranth plants are much taller (up to three feet long) and pricklier than waterhemp or redroot and smooth pigweed spikes.
Palmer amaranth is not just found in crop fields or pastures but can also be found in city limits. If a suspect plant is found call your local department of agriculture, weed officer, or Extension agent to help identify and irradicate the plant.
