# purple weed growing in my yard



## Ciffer (Sep 13, 2010)

Please help me ID this. My neighbor thinks it is edible.

It is a dark reddish-purple color and grows quickly. The largest one I have seen is about 3 feet tall but I usually pull them and throw them in compost before they get that big.


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## Nature_Lover (Feb 6, 2005)

It looks like amaranth, maybe a cockscomb. Some amaranth seeds are edible, but we don't know what it is, yet.
Could it have escaped a neighbor's garden, or is it a wild plant for sure?
Let one grow & flower, and it will be easier to identify.
Don't eat anything without positive ID. I would think that the red in the leaves might indicate high oxalic acid content, i.e. bitter, and calcium binding.
Here is a pdf about foraging edible wild plants in Minnesota.
Please put your location in your profile


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## Ciffer (Sep 13, 2010)

The neighbors don't seem to have a patch of it growing, it just pops up around my garden. Here is another picture along with a picture of a very similar looking but green plant that also grows. Both have seeds on top now.


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## Nature_Lover (Feb 6, 2005)

Yes, it does look like amaranth, a celosia or cockscomb variety.
Do some research to determine which species and cultivar it is.
You can save seeds to plant it in your garden if it proves to be edible.
You can use davesgarden.com to research the family and help identify it with photos in the plant database.
Another good site to confirm identification is http://plants.usda.gov
Good Luck, I hope this helps...


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## Ciffer (Sep 13, 2010)

thanks for the info, i'll have to look into more tomorrow.

I don't think seeds will be an issue; this is one of the most common weeds in my garden. I have been pulling them out all year but now that the garden is mostly done for the year I'll let them grow until I can ID them.


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