Prostrate Pigweed (Amaranthus albus L.)
Also known as white amaranth, tumble pigweed, tumbleweed amaranth.
↑Summary
A summer annual that forms tumbleweeds on larger plants. Native to the tropical Americas, and introduced into North America as well as other continents. Now occurs across North America.
↑Range - Expand
Legend | Color |
Native | |
Expanded | |
Native or Not Present | |
Native or Expanded | |
Expanded or Not Present | |
Native or Expanded or Not Present |
This tentative map is based on our own research. It may have limited data on Canada and/or Mexico, and there is some subjectivity in our assignment of plants as introduced vs. expanded. Read more in this blog post.
Although this plant occurs somewhere in each of these regions, it may only occur in a small part of some or all of them.
The exact native range of this species is not known and different sources give different cutoffs. POWO considers it native to the southern US coast-to-coast, and northern Mexico, and having expanded northward, whereas BONAP considers it native to the Great Plains and having expanded east and west. We have not yet resolved this issue but for now, our map loosely reflects BONAP's scheme because they are often more accurate than POWO on issues of range and establishment means. All sources agree, however, that this plant is native somewhere in North America and has greatly expanded its range contiguously with its native range.
This species also occurs in Canada and Mexico but we have not yet built these portions of its map.
↑Habitat
Prefers full sun, average to dry conditions, and poor soil, especially containing sand, gravel, or clay. Usually found on barren sites where there is little competition from other plants.
Mostly disturbed anthropogenic habitats, especially railroads and gravely roadsides, parking lot margins.
↑Links & External Resources
• Amaranthus albus (White Amaranth) | Illinois Wildflowers (About This Site)
• Amaranthus albus (Prostrate Pigweed) | USDA PLANTS Database (About This Site)
• Amaranthus albus | Go Botany (About This Site)
• Amaranthus albus | Biota of North America Project (BONAP) (About This Site)
• Amaranthus albus | NatureServe Explorer (About This Site)
• Amaranthus albus | Flora of North America (About This Site)
• Amaranthus albus | Missouri Plants (About This Site)
• Prostrate Pigweed | Maryland Biodiversity Project (About This Site)
• Amaranthus albus (Tumbleweed Amaranth) | Minnesota Wildflowers (About This Site)
• Amaranthus albus L. | Plants of the World Online (POWO) (About This Site)
• Amaranthus albus L. (Tumbleweed Amaranth, White Amaranth, Prostrate Pigweed) | Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora (About This Site)