Lambsquarter: My Favorite Wild Green
Healey, K. (2021). Lambsquarter. Pull Up Your Plants! . pullupyourplants.com.
I like to call Chenopodium album, lambsquarters. Those words scrunched together feel chubby, pastoral, and so very old. As a biology undergrad, I was told to feel contempt for “common” names, but the contempt never attached. Unless you are botanist, interested in taxonomy, or a doctor asking which plant my son has ingested... I’m just fine with poetic names. Poetic names convey a context to a plant’s relationship with humanity, both with their storytelling nature, and diversity. When the identity of the plant is already understood, this is how people speak of love.
For me, it is the difference between addressing my son by his full name as it appears on his birth certificate, or simply calling him my “munchkin man.” The former is the precise way of conveying his legal identity, and the latter tells us that he is relatively short, and well loved.
As a “weed,” you may have pulled-up and discarded Chenopodium album hundreds of times. However— while many plants are deemed to be a poor substitute for more familiar grocery-store-bought fare— it is lambsquarters who carries with it the distinction of being superior to that which it substitutes: spinach.
Lambsquarters has a fantastic pillowy texture when steamed, and a flavor that is every bit as satisfying. It is peculiar for a plant to be so delicious, yet, have relatively few mentions in ancient/archaic literature. Perhaps it is time for us to sing the praises of this wonderful herb in our own times.
Welcome to one of the world’s greatest treasures hidden in plain sight. Welcome to the world of Chenopodium album… my favorite wild green:
Lambsquarters!
Family — Amaranthaceae (Amaranth family)
Aliases — bacon weed, dirt weed, fat hen, frost blite, goosefoot, muck weed, netseed, piqweed, white goosefoot, wild orache, wild spinach; varklossie (AFRIKAANS); Chandan betu (BENGALI); bathua / बथुआ (HINDI); praiseach fhiáin (IRISH); houche (KUKI/INDIA); ნაცარქათამა/natsarkatama, მხალი/mkhali (GEORGIAN); ფუტაყ/futaq'(OSSETIAN/GEORGIA); Katu ayamoddakam (MALAYALAM); oruo (MAO/INDIA); ჯუმენია/jumenia, ჩე ჯუმენე/che jumene, ქოროფე/korofe, ქეროფე/kerofe (MEGRELIAN); bledo, huauzontle, calite, quelite, quelite cenizo (SPANISH) Parupukkirai/ பருப்புக்கீரை (TAMIL), Pappukura / పప్పుకూర (TELGU); Sılmastık (TURKISH).
Binomial Etymology — Cheno- denotes a goose; -podi denotes foot; album suggests “egg” [1].
Binomial Pronunciation: — Key-no-pode-E-um al’-bum
USDA Classification — Both native and introduced.
Description
Growing from one to six feet tall, this cosmopolitan weed has alternate leaves that can be wavy to lobate and are dusted with (IDENTIFIER) waxy granular crystals; the flowers are inconspicuous and occur at leaf axils and at the end of stems [2]. The undersides of the leaves are often colored with purple when young, and become lighter in color than the top of the leaf when matures. The leaf shape reminds many of a goose’s foot. The plant is odorless.
Healey, K. D. (2021). Lambsquarter in the Springtime Garden. Pull Up Your Plants! pullupyourplants.com.
Lambsquarter Habitat
A common garden weed, lambsquarters is found in any area with moisture and disturbed soil including cultivated fields [2].
Culinary Uses of Lambsquarters
Healey, K. D. (2021). Lambsquarters Ready to Be Washed and Steamed. Pull Up Your Plants! pullupyourplants.com.
As medicine and food, C. album has been of particular interest to the people of India having been mentioned in numerous Vedic texts in ancient Sanskrit [11]. Even to this day, the king’s share of culinary references to Chenopodium album seems to belong to India, who refer to it as bathua (बथुआ), or bathua saag.
When the the plant is young, it is prepared and used in the exact same way one would prepare spinach. The young flower buds are also edible. Seeds can be sprouted, and are said to be edible when saponins are leached from the grain [6].
In South Africa, the seeds are used to make, bredies: a slow-cooked tomato and mutton stew [16].
Ethnobotany of Lambsquarters
The INUPIAT peoples cooked this plant with beans to reduce flatulence; the NAVAJO and KAYENTA peoples used C. album as a poultice to be applied to burns; the POWAWATOMI peoples ate lamb’s quarter to ward away scurvy; the CREE and WOODLANDS people used this plant in a wash for aching limbs [3].
In PAKISTAN, the leaves are steeped to make an herbal tea to treat kidney disorders [13]. The plant was further used to treat intestinal worms, gastric or urinary tract complaints [13][14].
In INDIA (Bangladesh), the plant is used for liver disorders (including hepatitis, and jaundice) [15].
In SOUTH AFRICA, the waxy granular crystals are used to treat sore feet by herders, and the dried/powdered leaves are applied to skin irritations. The aforementioned powder— mashed and reconstituted with water— is used as nose drops [16].
This is one of the few herbs I have found mentioned as a traditional treatment for peptic ulcers [11].
Pharmaceutical Research
Chenopodium album has shown promise as a safe spermicidal contraceptive in studies on rabbits [5]. C. album also has proven to be a plant of possible commercial importance to produce natural health products due to the high occurrence of phenolic compounds in the plant; these compounds have shown to be useful as free radical scavenging, anti-cancer, metal chelating, and treatment agents for atherosclerosis [8].
Lambsquarter and Magic
The Navajo and Ramah peoples fashioned this plant into the shape of a snake as an antidote to snake bites [3].
Lambsquarters in Literature
Lambsquarters Nutrition
This plant is high in antioxidants and has antibacterial properties [11]. It is an excellent source of magnesium and potassium (beating out spinach, Swiss chard, and broccoli), lutein, and carotenoids [12].
Lambsquarter Recipes
Steamed Lambsquarters (Vegan)
Did you ever go to a restaurant and try something that you were SO impressed with that you have a hard time ordering anything else? That is the story of the following lambsquarters preparation. I created this on a whim, and it was so delicious, flavorful, and nourishing that I have yet to try anything else.
The strength is simplicity.
Ingredients
Young lambsquarter picked in the spring before flowering
Liquid aminos or soy sauce
Toasted sesame seed oil
Lemon juice
Procedure
1. Cut your young lambsquarters at ground level, and put them into a colander.
2. Rinse them well (be sure to pick out any sticks, or unwelcome plants).
3. Steam the lambs quarters for 5-10 minutes.
4. Drizzle your greens with toasted sesame oil, liquid aminos (to taste), and squeeze lemon juice on top.
Healey, K. D. (2021). Steamed Lambsquarters. Pull Up Your Plants! pullupyourplants.com.
Miscellaneous Factoids
C. album has been studied as an agent of phytoremediation for the cleanup of soils contaminated with chromium [9]. This is a source of concern because the plant was shown to be able to take up enormous amounts of the element. As always, harvest in areas that are not known to be contaminated with pollution.
Lambsquarter Poisonous Lookalikes
For the uninitiated, lambsquarter can resemble certain plants in the nightshade family before they go into flower. Pay particular attention to Solanum physalifolium (hoe nightshade), but become familiar with other locally occurring Solanum species.
If you do not have an experienced mentor, a good way to become familiar with lambsquarter is to order some seeds and grow it on purpose. Pay close attention to the plants, do a slow reading of a guidebook, and make sure you comprehend what you are reading.
It is important to note that…
LAMBSQUARTERS WILL NOT HAVE
Conspicuous or showy flowers.
Hairy foliage
Sticky foliage
Globular berries
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For my beautiful wife and son, as always.
References are available in the comments. While you are there… I’d love to hear from you!
References
Borror, D. J. (1960). Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms (1st ed.). Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company.
Harrington, H. D. (1972). Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains (5th ed.). Albquerque, NM: The University of New Mexico Press.
Moerman, D. E., & Moerman, D. E. (2009). Native American medicinal plants: An ethnobotanical dictionary. Portland, Or.: Timber Press.
Dermaseptin S 4 derivative K 4 K 20 S 4 : A potential candidate for development of a new microbicide contraceptive agent — an in vitro study, Zaïri, Amira ; Tangy, Frédéric ; Hani, Khaled, The European Journal of Contraception & Reproductive Health Care, 04/2013, Vol.18(2), pp.79–87[Peer Reviewed Journal]
Coon, N. (1980). Using wild and wayside plants. New York: Dover Publications.
Lamb’s-Quarter. (2000). In K. F. Kiple, & K. C. Ornelas (Eds.), Cambridge world history of food. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.csupueblo.edu/login?qurl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.credoreference.com%2Fcontent%2Fentry%2Fcupfood%2Flamb_s_quarter%2F0%3FinstitutionId%3D721
Victoria (Hearst Magazines, a division of Hearst Communications, Inc.). Sep 98, Vol. 12 Issue 9, p100. 3p. 1 Color Photograph, 1 Black and White Photograph.
Laghari, A. H., Memon, S., Nelofar, A., Khan, K. M., & Yasmin, A. (2011). Determination of free phenolic acids and antioxidant activity of methanolic extracts obtained from fruits and leaves of Chenopodium album. Food Chemistry, 126(4), 1850–1855. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2010.11.165
Gupta, A., & Sinha, S. (2007). Phytoextraction capacity of the Chenopodium album L. grown on soil amended with tannery sludge. Bioresource Technology,98(2), 442–446. doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2006.01.015
Merriweather, L., Dunlay, T., Moulton, G. E., & Clark, W. (1983). The Journals of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. Lincoln, NENE: University of Nebraska Press.
Poonia, A., & Upadhayay, A. (2015). Chenopodium album Linn: review of nutritive value and biological properties. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 52(7), 3977–3985. http://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-014-1553-x
Kallas, J. (2010). Edible wild plants: wild foods from dirt to plate. Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith
TUFAIL, Muhammad et al. Ethnobotanical Survey of Important Wild Medicinal Plants of Tehsil Gojra, District Toba Tek Singh, Punjab, Pakistan. Ethnobotany Research and Applications, [S.l.], v. 20, p. 1-14, aug. 2020. ISSN 1547-3465. Available at: <http://www.ethnobotanyjournal.org/index.php/era/article/view/2293/1087>. Date accessed: 22 May. 2021.
ALI, Maroof et al. Traditional Uses of Plants by Indigenous Communities for Veterinary Practices at Kurram District, Pakistan. Ethnobotany Research and Applications, [S.l.], v. 18, p. 1-19, jul. 2019. ISSN 1547-3465. Available at: <http://www.ethnobotanyjournal.org/index.php/era/article/view/1481/853>. Date accessed: 22 May. 2021
MOLLIK, Mohammed Ariful Haque et al. A Comparative Analysis of Medicinal Plants Used by Folk Medicinal Healers in Three Districts of Bangladesh and Inquiry as to Mode of Selection of Medicinal Plants. Ethnobotany Research and Applications, [S.l.], v. 8, p. 195-218, jul. 2010. ISSN 1547-3465. Available at: <http://www.ethnobotanyjournal.org/index.php/era/article/view/367/284>. Date accessed: 22 May. 2021.
VAN WIJK, Yvette Ethne et al. Ethnobotanical research at Klasies River linking past, present, and future.. Ethnobotany Research and Applications, [S.l.], v. 18, p. 1-24, nov. 2019. ISSN 1547-3465. Available at: <http://www.ethnobotanyjournal.org/index.php/era/article/view/1651/889>. Date accessed: 22 May. 2021.
