Nettleleaf goosefoot (Chenopodium murale)
Other names nettle-leaved goosefoot
At a glance
- Lifecycle
- Annual
- Exposure
- Full sun
Cultivation
An easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils but disliking shade.
Propagation
Seed - sow spring in situ. Most of the seed usually germinates within a few days of sowing.
Edible uses
Leaves and young shoots - raw or cooked as a spinach. The raw leaves should only be eaten in small quantities, see the notes above on toxicity. Seed - cooked. It can be ground into a powder and mixed with wheat or other cereals and used in making bread etc. The seed is small and fiddly, it should be soaked in water overnight and thoroughly rinsed before it is used in order to remove any saponins.
Material uses
Gold/green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant.
Habitat
Dunes and in waste places, especially on light soils.
Native range
Europe, including Britain, from Sweden south and east to N. Africa, southwest and southern Asia.
Scientific synonyms Chenopodiastrum murale