Look at these 7 Poisonous Plants That Look Like Lambsquarters in this list. Stay away from them, and be safe.
Lambsquarters are popular for their nutritional value and taste, but there are some Poisonous Plants That Look Like Lambsquarters; this guide will assist you in differentiating between them.
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What is Lambsquarter
Lambsquarters (Chenopodium album) is a plant similar to quinoa. People used to eat it a lot in the past, but it became less popular when spinach arrived in Europe around the 16th century. Although it’s rich in nutrients, eating it too much or too often can be a bit harmful, but cooking it makes it safe. It’s considered a common weed in the United States and is found in various places like waste areas, roadsides, gardens, and landscapes.
The leaves of this plant are triangular with lightly toothed- edges. The newest leaves have a white coating called epicuticular wax, which protects them from losing water, extreme heat, and too much sunlight.
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Poisonous Plants That Look Like Lambsquarters
1. Black Nightshade
Botanical Name: Solanum nigrum
Black Nightshade looks a lot like Common Lambsquarters. You can differentiate between the two by checking the toxic black-round berries of the Black Nightshade.
2. Carolina horsenettle
Botanical Name: Solanum carolinense
Horsenettle looks a bit like Lambsquarters as it also has leaves with small teeth and can grow 2-4 feet tall. You can spot the difference because Horsenettle has small white-yellow flowers, and its leaf teeth are sharper.
3. Palmer Amaranth
Botanical Name: Amaranthus palmeri
To tell the difference between the two, just look at the size and thickness of the plants. Palmer Amaranth is bigger and has a thicker stem compared to the Lambsquarters. They both have leaves with small teeth on the edges and grow in a similar way.
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4. Ground Cherry
Botanical Name: Physalis spp.
Both ground cherry plants and lambsquarters resemble each other due to identical leaves and growth forms. You can tell the difference as they produce husked fruits similar to baby tomatoes.
5. Pokeweed
Botanical Name: Phytolacca americana
People sometimes confuse Pokeweed with Lambsquarters when the plants are young. The main clue that it’s not Lambsquarters is the red stem because Lambsquarters have green stems. Also, Pokeweed doesn’t have leaves with small teeth on the edges.
6. Bittersweet Nightshade
Botanical Name: Solanum dulcamara
Even though it might look like Lambsquarters to someone who doesn’t know much, you need to examine it closely. Unlike Lambsquarters, this plant’s leaves grow in sets of three. That’s the key to avoiding this poisonous plant.
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7. Jimsonweed
Botanical Name: Datura stramonium
Jimsonweed looks like lambsquarters, but you can recognize it by its big, trumpet-shaped white flowers and unique spiky seed pods.