Common weedy amaranth spotted thriving on a Minneapolis street
iNaturalist: henryfrye
Urban Ecology
The scraggly weed pushing up through your sidewalk cracks or garden bed edges might be Redroot Amaranth, a plant whose seeds fed Indigenous peoples for centuries and whose young leaves are still edible today.
Someone out walking in Minneapolis spotted a Redroot Amaranth plant and logged it on iNaturalist, where other experts confirmed the identification, making it a verified record. This weedy plant is incredibly common across North America and shows up in gardens, farm fields, and sidewalk cracks alike, but it's also edible and was historically an important food source.
Key Findings
Observation reached 'research grade' status on iNaturalist, meaning the community confirmed the species identification
Location: W Lake St, Minneapolis, MN, a dense urban corridor
Species (Amaranthus retroflexus) is a widespread North American weed known for both agricultural competition and edible use
chevron_right Technical Summary
A citizen scientist confirmed a Redroot Amaranth plant growing along W Lake St in Minneapolis, adding a verified data point for this common but ecologically significant weedy species in an urban setting.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Redroot Amaranth (Amaranthus retroflexus) observed in W Lake St, Minneapolis, MN, US
Research-grade observation of Redroot Amaranth in W Lake St, Minneapolis, MN, US.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
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Amaranthus retroflexus is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae with several common names, including red-root amaranth, redroot pigweed, red-rooted pigweed, common amaranth, pigweed amaranth, and common tumbleweed.