About
Chenopodium album is a rapidly growing annual that can reach heights of up to 2 meters. The plant features upright, branching stems and has silvery-green leaves that are slightly toothed; these leaves become narrower as they ascend the plant and have a mealy white underside. It produces spikes filled with small, densely packed green flowers, each capable of yielding thousands of seeds.
About the genus
Chenopodium includes both annual and perennial species, characterized by stems and leaves that may have a mealy texture. The leaves can be either simple or lobed, and the plant produces small flowers that appear in clusters at the ends of branches or in the leaf axils. In some species, these flowers are succeeded by colorful fruits.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Chalk, Clay, Sand, Loam
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained, Well-drained
- Aspect
- East-facing, West-facing, South-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H7
Plant details
- Plant type
- Annual Biennial
- Habit
- Spreading branched
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 1.5-2.5 metres
- Spread
- 1-1.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 1 year
- Suggested uses
- Wildlife gardens
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Most vigorous in fertile, heavy soils in full sun, but will tolerate a range of positions and soil types. Spreads rapidly, generally considered a weed.
- Pruning
- Remove before seeding to prevent spreading
- Propagation
- Self- and wind pollinated, propagates by seed produced prolifically through the growing season. Seed can remain viable in the soil for many years
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to root nematodes
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to downy mildews