Kochia (Bassia scoparia)
Description: A much-branched, bushy weed with fine-textured foliage, 1'-5' in height. Plants are blue-green to gray-green but take on a reddish or purplish coloration later in the season.
Life cycle: Annual
Habitat: Dry-land, crops, pastures, rangeland and waste areas.
Leaf: Leaves are alternate, elongate, 1"-2" in length, hairy and attached directly to the stem.
Stem: upright, Much-branched, usually hairy.
Flower: Small, green, inconspicuous flowers without petals, bloomng in July to September.
Fruit: Smalll, bladder-like.
Root: Taproot
The problem is…. animal health. Kochia can accumulate high nitrate concentrations under certain conditions. Caution should be exercised when grazing or feeding harvested hay containing a large amount of Kochia. It has been linked to photosensitivity in livestock as well.
