Pigweed, Redroot amaranth, Wild Beet
Amaranthus retroflexus
Family: Amaranthaceae
What it is like
If you want to grow amaranth as a grain Amaranthus retroflexus is a good option. Seeds are eaten raw or cooked. They can be ground into a powder and used as a cereal substitute, and also can be sprouted and added to salads. Young leaves have a mild flavour and can be eaten raw or cooked as a spinach. It is eaten in Mexican markets as Quelite quintonil. Common names include: red-root amaranth, redroot pigweed, red-rooted pigweed, common amaranth, pigweed amaranth, and common tumbleweed.
Amaranthus retroflexus is a ANNUAL growing to 0.9 m (3ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4 and is frost tender. It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Wind. The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid and very alkaline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil and can tolerate drought.
Height (m): 0.9
Where it is found
A casual of cultivated land and waste places in Britain.
Tropical America. A casual in Britain.
Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed.
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Young leaves - raw or cooked as a spinach. A mild flavour, it is often mixed with stronger flavoured leaves. Very rich in iron, it is also a good source of vitamins A and C. Seed - raw or cooked. Ground into a powder and used as a cereal substitute, it can also be sprouted and added to salads. The seed is very small, about 1mm in diameter, but easy to harvest and very nutritious. The flavour is greatly improved by roasting the seed before grinding it. It is often added to maize meal. The seed can be cooked whole, and becomes very gelatinous like this, but it is rather difficult to crush all of the small seeds in the mouth and thus some of the seed will pass right through the digestive system without being assimilated.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Medicine
Rating: 2
A tea made from the leaves is astringent. It is used in the treatment of profuse menstruation, intestinal bleeding, diarrhoea etc. An infusion has been used to treat hoarseness.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Other
Rating: 2
Yellow and green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant. Like many other species of Amaranthus, this plant may be harmful and even deadly when fed to cattle and pigs in large amounts. However, when supplied in moderation, it is regarded as an exceptionally nutritious fodder.
Dye: Plants that provide dyes.
Fodder: Food given to the animals (including plants cut and carried to them) rather than forage for themselves.
Dynamic accumulator: Plants that gather minerals or nutrients from the soil and store them in a more bioavailable form and in high concentration in their tissues. Used as fertilizer or to improve mulch.
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
How it is grown
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 root pattern is clumping, giving the plant a clumping habit. The predictable growth behaviour makes it easier to maintain without having to apply containment methods.
Propagating it: Seed - sow late spring in situ. An earlier sowing can be made in a greenhouse and the plants put out after the last expected frosts. Germination is usually rapid and good if the soil is warm. A drop in temperature overnight aids germination. Cuttings of growing plants root easily.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Annual
Hardiness: 3-11
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
No members of this genus are known to be poisonous, but when grown on nitrogen-rich soils they are known to concentrate nitrates in the leaves. This is especially noticeable on land where chemical fertilizers are used. Nitrates are implicated in stomach cancers, blue babies and some other health problems. It is inadvisable, therefore, to eat this plant if it is grown inorganically.
This plant can be weedy or invasive.