Plant ID Pages

Plant ID Pages

Plant ID Pages

Hummingbird moth with bee balm blossom
Hummingbird moth with bee balm blossom

Lambsquarters (Chenopodium album)


The spinach that grows itself. And then some.


What It Is


Also called wild spinach, goosefoot, or pigweed, lambsquarters is one of the most common garden “weeds”- and one of the most nutritious greens you can harvest. Packed with calcium, iron, and vitamin A, it belongs to the same family as quinoa and beets. Wherever soil is disturbed, lambsquarters thrives.


The spinach that grows itself. And then some.


What It Is


Also called wild spinach, goosefoot, or pigweed, lambsquarters is one of the most common garden “weeds”- and one of the most nutritious greens you can harvest. Packed with calcium, iron, and vitamin A, it belongs to the same family as quinoa and beets. Wherever soil is disturbed, lambsquarters thrives.

Use It Like This

  • Steam or sauté like spinach.

  • Add to eggs, curries, or stir-fries.

  • Blend into pesto with garlic and lemon.

  • Stir chopped leaves into muffins or quick breads.

  • Dry for winter use in soups or smoothies.


Tip: Young leaves are best. Older leaves develop a dusty bloom and should be rinsed well or cooked thoroughly.

Harvest Notes

  • Harvest tender tops and young leaves before the plant flowers.

  • Look for the silvery “frost” on leaf undersides — a key ID marker.

  • Don’t confuse with spurge (a low-growing plant with milky sap — not edible).

  • Leaves can be blanched and frozen in bulk for year-round use.


Wild Food Snapshot

Nutrient-dense and joyfully abundant, lambsquarter is a perfect beginner plant: delicious, unmistakable, and generous.

Harvest Notes

  • Harvest tender tops and young leaves before the plant flowers.

  • Look for the silvery “frost” on leaf undersides- a key ID marker.

  • Leaves can be blanched and frozen in bulk for year-round use.


Wild Food Snapshot

Nutrient-dense and joyfully abundant, lambsquarter is a perfect beginner plant: delicious, unmistakable, and generous.

Students identifying and sorting edible wild plants as part of a foraging certification course.
Students identifying and sorting edible wild plants as part of a foraging certification course.
Students identifying and sorting edible wild plants as part of a foraging certification course.
Fresh wild greens and berries in a wooden bowl, representing the hands-on results of Foraging Academy’s certification classes.
Fresh wild greens and berries in a wooden bowl, representing the hands-on results of Foraging Academy’s certification classes.
Fresh wild greens and berries in a wooden bowl, representing the hands-on results of Foraging Academy’s certification classes.
Group of students processing acorns together during a foraging class, representing shared learning and scholarship.
Group of students processing acorns together during a foraging class, representing shared learning and scholarship.
Group of students processing acorns together during a foraging class, representing shared learning and scholarship.