Lambs Quarters
About Lambs Quarters
Lambs quarters are widespread, aggressive “weeds” found almost anywhere there is disturbed soils. A single plant can produce 100000 seeds and will stay in the soil for years. Lambs quarters will and do completely take over unattended gardens throughout the world. In some countries, Lambs quarters is actually grown specifically as a food source similar to why we grow spinach.
Lambs quarters are easily identified by their unique leaf shape as well as the white hydrophobic sheen on the growing tip and leaves. A single cup of lambs quarters contains over 70% of your daily vitamin A and over 90% of your daily vitamin C.
Best picked when smaller, picking the tips will force them to branch and produce even more leaves. They will produce for the entire season if you can keep up with them.
Simply washing and sauteing in their own water for 2 to 3 minutes is a great and easy way to prepare them. They are a perfect substitute for spinach or any of the other greens.
The leaves can also be eaten raw and in salads or as a lettuce on sandwiches.
Primary use
food source
Edible parts
Everything – leaves/tops as greens, seeds as fill or ground to flour.
Medicinal
Some medicinal uses
Foraging Plant information list
This is not a complete list, this is a list of the species I have directly witnessed in my travels here in Northwest Ontario. If you find something before I do, email me and let me know.
Lambs Quarters
Joe Pye Weed
Cattails
Labrador Tea
Creeping Charlie (Ground Ivy)
Chickweed
Clover (Red)
Clover (White)
Clover (Sweet White)
Fiddleheads
Fireweed
Goldenrod
Bull Thistle
New England Aster
Saskatoon (Service berry)
Blueberry
Pin Cherry
Hazelnuts
Raspberry
Red Currants
Cranberry
Thimble Berry
Cloud Berry
Squashberry (Low bush Cranberry)
Spruce Tips
Birch
Juniper
Willow
Identification
Lambs quarters, otherwise known as wild goose foot grows aggressively pretty much anywhere. It has a unique leaf shape which sort of resembles a lambs quarter view or a goose footprint (goosefoot). The plants have a white coating or sheen on the leaves, especially when younger which is hydrophobic (repels water).
Older plants can be one to two meters tall with thousands and thousands of seeds.
Where to look
Look in your garden, look on roadsides, look everywhere.
