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Spiny Amaranth

Amaranthus spinosus

Found in fields, gardens, roadsides, barnyards, pastures. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

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

Profile 76%

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

At a glance

Life cycle
Annual
Bloom
July to October

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 70 Virginia 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

38CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Amaranthus

  • Achyra rantalisGarden Webworm Moth
  • Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
  • Amyna strictaEight-Spot Moth
  • Anarta trifoliiThe Nutmeg, Clover Cutworm
  • Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
  • 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 38
  • 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
  • Melanchra pictaPainted Arches, Zebra Caterpillar Moth
  • Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Pholisora catullusCommon Sootywing
  • Platynota flavedanaBlack-Shaded Platynota
  • Platynota rostranaOmnivorous Platynota
  • Platynota stultanaOmnivorous Leafroller
  • Scythris trivinctellaBanded Scythris
  • Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
  • 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
  • Xanthorhoe ferrugataRed Twin-Spot, Twin-Spot Carpet
  • 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

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
Also known as

Spiny Pigweed

Conservation status

Virginia rankSNA
Global rankG5
VA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Native alternatives

Find natives for your garden

Sources