Smooth Pigweed

Amaranthus hybridus

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Not native

Not native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

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Height: Up to about 8 feet
Light: Sun

Amaranthus hybridus photograph — (c) zebedeugalinha, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Annual

Not yet recorded · Spread · Soil · Leaves · Bloom

This plant is missing most of its facts, so Quercus is looking them up in old botany books.

Recorded in 39 Alabama counties.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

41CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Amaranthus

Achyra rantalisGarden Webworm Moth
Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
Amyna strictaEight-Spot Moth
Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
Argyrotaenia ivanaIvana Leafroller Moth
Dicymolomia julianalisJulia's Dicymolomia
Disclisioprocta stellataSomber Carpet, Bougainvillea Looper
Epiblema otiosanaBidens Borer Moth
Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm

Show all 41

Gesta martialisMottled Duskywing
Hahncappsia mancalisCommon Hahncappsia
Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
Herpetogramma bipunctalisSouthern Beet Webworm, Two-Spotted Herpetogramma
Hyles lineataWhite-Lined Sphinx
Hymenia perspectalisSpotted Beet Webworm
Melanochroia chephiseWhite-Tipped Black Moth, Snowbush Spanworm
Mocis latipesSmall Mocis, Striped Grass Looper
Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
Neogalea suniaLantana Stick Caterpillar, Catabena Moth
Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
Pholisora catullusCommon Sootywing
Platynota flavedanaBlack-Shaded Platynota
Platynota rostranaOmnivorous Platynota
Platynota stultanaOmnivorous Leafroller
Psara obscuralisObscure Psara Moth
Scythris trivinctellaBanded Scythris
Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
Spodoptera albulaWhite-Spotted Armyworm, Gray-Streaked Armyworm
Spodoptera dolichosSweetpotato Armyworm, Dolichos Armyworm, Large Cotton Armyworm
Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
Spoladea recurvalisHawaiian Beet Webworm
Staphylus hayhurstiiHayhurst's Scallopwing, Scalloped Sooty Wing, Scalloped Sootywing
Udea rubigalisCelery Leaftier
Virbia aurantiacaOrange Virbia, Orange Holomelina
Helvibotys helvialis
Paralobesia sambuci
Paralobesia vernoniana

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

—Specialist beesPollen specialists

39BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Amaranthus

Acanthis flammeaCommon Redpoll
Agelaius phoeniceusRed-winged Blackbird
Agelaius tricolorTricolored Blackbird
Alectoris chukarChukar
Anthus rubescensAmerican Pipit
Calcarius lapponicusLapland Longspur
Calcarius ornatusChestnut-collared Longspur
Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
Columba liviaRock Pigeon
Columbina passerinaCommon Ground Dove

Show all 39

Euphagus cyanocephalusBrewer's Blackbird
Haemorhous mexicanusHouse Finch
Ixoreus naeviusVaried Thrush
Junco hyemalisDark-eyed Junco
Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
Melospiza melodiaSong Sparrow
Melozone crissalisCalifornia Towhee
Molothrus aterBrown-headed Cowbird
Oreortyx pictusMountain Quail
Perdix perdixGray Partridge
Pheucticus melanocephalusBlack-headed Grosbeak
Pinicola enucleatorPine Grosbeak
Pipilo maculatusSpotted Towhee
Plectrophenax nivalisSnow Bunting
Pooecetes gramineusVesper Sparrow
Rhynchophanes mccowniiMcCown's Longspur
Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird
Spizella breweriBrewer's Sparrow
Spizella passerinaChipping Sparrow
Spizelloides arboreaAmerican Tree Sparrow
Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
Tympanuchus pallidicinctusLesser Prairie-Chicken
Tyrannus tyrannusEastern Kingbird
Vireo belliiBell's Vireo
Vireo olivaceusRed-eyed Vireo
Zenaida asiaticaWhite-winged Dove
Zenaida macrouraMourning Dove
Zonotrichia atricapillaGolden-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrysWhite-crowned Sparrow

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Amaranthaceae
Flower color: Green

What its natural habitat tells you

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Flower color · “Green” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Height · “Up to about 8 feet” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Life cycle · “Annual” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Light · “Sun” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
primary_flower_color · “green” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Also known as

Slim Amaranth; Slim Pigweed; Smooth Amaranth

Conservation status

Alabama rank	SNR
Global rank	G5?
AL status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Native alternatives

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Sources