Palmer's Amaranth, agricultural weed, may be in contaminated pollinator seed mixes
Palmer's amaranth, Amaranthus palmeri was recently discovered in Malheur County. Palmer's amaranth is a problematic agricultural weed in much of the southern and mid-west US. Recently the Weed Science Society of America reported that Palmer's amaranth is suspected to have contaminated seed mixes marketed as pollinator seed mixes. Given each plant can produce from 100,000 to 500,000 seeds a year, it isn't surprising these seeds could find their way into unwanted places!
Image by Kimberlie Sasan, CC-BY-NC
There are several weedy amaranths in Oregon, so for guidance on identification here is a good resource from Purdue Extension. If you think you may have found Palmer's amaranth in Oregon, add it to this iNaturalist project or report it to the Oregon Invasive Species Hotline to get in touch with weed managers in your area.
Cheers,
Lindsey
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I should also note that not all Amaranthus species in Oregon are weeds - we have some native species as well! You can find a list of the currently accepted species and their native or exotic status at the Oregon Flora Project's Checklist page for Amaranthaceae.
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