Spiny Amaranth

Amaranthus spinosus

Found in fields, gardens, roadsides, barnyards, pastures. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

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

Profile 76%

Height: Up to about 6 feet
Light: Full sun
Soil moisture: Dry to moist

Amaranthus spinosus — flower photograph — no rights reserved · CC0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Annual
Bloom: July to October

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Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 52 Florida counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

45CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL

Genus host records with ranges including FL · 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 repletaReplete Dart

Show all 45

Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
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
Pholisora catullusCommon Sootywing
Platynota flavedanaBlack-Shaded Platynota
Platynota rostranaOmnivorous Platynota
Platynota stultanaOmnivorous Leafroller
Psara obscuralisObscure Psara Moth
Rhectocraspeda periusalisEggplant Webworm
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 androgeaAndrogea 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
Megalorhipida leucodactylus
Omiodes simialis
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

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Amaranthaceae
Flower color: Yellow or green

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

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “July to October” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Yellow or green” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Height · “Up to about 6 feet” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Life cycle · “Annual” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Light · “Full sun (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Soil · “Dry; Moist (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia

Also known as

Spiny Pigweed

Conservation status

Florida rank	SNA
Global rank	G5
FL status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Native alternatives

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