Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Amaranthus powellii is a species of amaranth known by the common names Powell's amaranth and green amaranth. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, but it is common throughout most of the rest of the temperate Americas as a naturalized species. It has also been introduced to other continents, including Australia and Europe. This is an erect annual herb growing to a maximum height near two meters. It has leaves up to 9 centimeters long, those on the upper part of the plant lance-shaped and lower on the stem diamond or roughly oval in shape. The inflorescence holds several long, narrow clusters of both male and female flowers interspersed with spiny green bracts. The fruit is a smooth dehiscent capsule about 3 millimeters long containing shiny reddish black seeds.

Plant type

Annual herb

Size

7 ft Tall

Plant communities

Weed (disturbed places)

Butterflies

Pollinators supported

0 confirmed and 5 likely

  • Likely

  • Confirmed

Northern White-Skipper

Heliopetes ericetorum

White-lined Sphinx Moth

Hyles lineata

Common Sootywing

Pholisora catullus

Beet Armyworm Moth

Spodoptera exigua

See all

Squash (Cucurbita)

Cucurbita