SimplePlant

Chenopodiaceae

Lambsquarters

Chenopodium album L.

Family
Chenopodiaceae
Genus
Chenopodium

Pets and kids

  • CatsNot sure
  • DogsNot sure
  • KidsMildly toxic
Why

Cats: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Dogs: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Kids: Mildly toxic

Mildly toxic to young children. Toxic principle: oxalic acid, saponins, nitrates.

Signs: digestive upset, vomiting, headache, dizziness, low blood pressure.

Lambsquarters: Chenopodium album , otherwise known as lamb's quarters, melde, or white goosefoot
Photo: Rasbak, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons

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Is Lambsquarters safe for cats, dogs and kids?

Is Lambsquarters safe for cats?

We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Is Lambsquarters safe for dogs?

We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Is Lambsquarters safe for kids?

No. Our sources call Lambsquarters mildly toxic to young children. Toxic principle: oxalic acid, saponins, nitrates. Signs: digestive upset, vomiting, headache, dizziness, low blood pressure.

Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.

See all cat-safe plants, dog-safe plants and child-safe plants.

Similar names and close relatives

A shared name doesn't mean a shared answer: check the exact plant.

  • Quinoa Chenopodium quinoasame genusCats: Not sure; Dogs: Not sure; Kids: Not sure

Common names

By language (76)
Albanian
Laboti i egër
Arabic
سرمق أبيض, فساء الكلاب
Armenian
Թելուկ սպիտակ
arz
سرمق ابيض
Assamese
জিলমিল
Asturian
Ciñiplu
azb
یاغلیجا
Azerbaijani
Ağımtıl tərə
Bangla
বথুয়া, বাসতোকি, বাসতোগি, বেথুয়া শাক, বেথো শাক
Basque
Sabi hostozuri
Belarusian
Лебяда белая
Bulgarian
Бяла куча лобода
Burmese
မြူရွက်
Catalan
Blet blanc, Chénopode blanc
Chinese
藜, 灰绿藜, 灰菜, 灰藋, 灰藋子, 灰藜, 藜实
Croatian
Pepeljuga
csb
Łapùcha
cv
Ахаль суя мăян
Czech
Merlík bílý, Merlík hustoklasý, Merlík missourský
Danish
Hvidmelet Gåsefod
Dutch
Melganzenvoet, Melganzevoet, Witte ganzevoet
English
Lambsquarters, Fat hen, Fat-hen
Esperanto
Blanka kenopodio
Estonian
Valge hanemalts
Finnish
Jauhosavikka, Saviheinä, Missourinsavikka, Soijasavikka
French
Chénopode blanc, Ansérine blanche, Chou gras, Drageline, Poule-grasse, Poulette grasse, Senousse
Galician
Fariñento, Fariñón, Farnelo, Farnento
Georgian
Თეთრი ნაცარქათამა
German
Weisser Gänsefuss, Weißer Gänsefuß, Ackermelde, Chénopode blanc, Schissmelle, Probst-Gänsefuß
Hebrew
כף אווז לבנה
Hindi
बथुआ
hsb
Běła pólšica, Žerich
Hungarian
Fehér libatop
Icelandic
Hélunjóli
Irish
Blonagán bán
Italian
Farinello comune
Japanese
シロザ, 白藜, 藜
Kazakh
Ақ алабота
Korean
명아주, 는장이
lah
باتھو
Latvian
Baltā balanda
Lithuanian
Baltoji balanda, Chénopode blanc
lmo
Farinèla, Farinèle
lzh
藜
Macedonian
Бела дива лобода
Malayalam
വാസ്തുചീര
Māori
Huainanga
Marathi
चाकवत
Mongolian
Цагаан лууль
Nepali
बेथु
Norwegian Bokmål
Meldestokk, Hønsemelde
Norwegian Nynorsk
Meldestokk
nv
Díkʼǫ́ǫ́zhí yiltʼąąʼí, Tłʼohdeeítsoh
os
Урс футæг
pcd
Mayeule
Persian
سلمک
Polish
Komosa biała
Portuguese
Ancarinha-branca
Punjabi
ਬਾਥੂ
Quechua
Llikcha, K'ita kinwa, Khuchi kinwa, Kinwilla, Kuchi kinwa, Lliqcha
Romanian
Lobodă
Russian
Марь белая, Марь обыкновенная
sat
ᱵᱟᱛᱷᱩᱣᱟ ᱟᱲᱟᱜ
sgs
Balonda
shn
ၽၵ်းၵိူဝ်, တူၼ်ႈၽၵ်းၵိူဝ်
Slovak
Mrlík biely
Slovenian
Bela metlika
Spanish
Cenizo, Ajea, Altos, Armuelle, Armuelle borde, Armuelle silvestre, Armuelles bordes, Armuelles silvestres
Swedish
Svinmålla, Chénopode blanc, Vitmålla, Hönsmålla, Probstmålla
Tamil
சக்கரவர்த்திக் கீரை
udm
Сиёнпот, Няньпот
Ukrainian
Лобода біла
Urdu
باتھو, بتھوا
Welsh
Troed-yr-ŵydd gwyn, Troed-yr-ŵydd Probst
wuu
藜
zza
Leğendur

Synonyms

  • Anserina candidans (Lam.) Montandon
  • Atriplex alba (L.) Crantz
  • Atriplex viridis (L.) Crantz
  • Blitum viride (L.) Moench
  • Botrys alba (L.) Nieuwl.
  • Botrys alba var. pauper Lunell
  • Botrys ferulata Lunell
  • Botrys pagana (Rchb.) Lunell
  • Chenopodium agreste E.H.L.Krause
  • Chenopodium album f. cymigerum (W.D.J.Koch) Aellen
  • Chenopodium album f. dubium Arlt & Jüttersonke
  • Chenopodium album f. glomerulosum (Rchb.) Aellen
  • Chenopodium album f. heterophyllum Wang-Wei & P.Y.Fu
  • Chenopodium album f. lanceolatum (Muhl. ex Willd.) Schinz & Thell.
  • Chenopodium album f. leiospermum Kuntze
  • Chenopodium album f. opuliforme Aellen
  • Chenopodium album f. ovalifolium Aellen
  • Chenopodium album f. paucidentatum Aellen
  • Chenopodium album f. pseudozschackei Aellen
  • Chenopodium album f. spicatum (W.D.J.Koch) Aellen
  • Chenopodium album subsp. bernburgense Murr
  • Chenopodium album subsp. collinsii Murr
  • Chenopodium album subsp. densifoliatum Ludw. & Aellen
  • Chenopodium album subsp. hastatum (C.Klinggr.) Graebn.
  • Chenopodium album subsp. pedunculare (Bertol.) Murr
  • Chenopodium album subsp. pseudopulifolium (Scholz) Murray
  • Chenopodium album var. album
  • Chenopodium album var. candicans Moq.
  • Chenopodium album var. coronatum Beauge
  • Chenopodium album var. cymigerum W.D.J.Koch
  • Chenopodium album var. dacoticum Aellen
  • Chenopodium album var. desertorum Kuntze
  • Chenopodium album var. glomerulosum (Rchb.) Peterm.
  • Chenopodium album var. lanceolatum (Muhl. ex Willd.) Coss. & Germ.
  • Chenopodium album var. laxiflorum Wang-Wei & P.Y.Fu
  • Chenopodium album var. missouriense (Aellen) Bassett & Crompton
  • Chenopodium album var. paganum (Rchb.) Syme
  • Chenopodium album var. polymorphum Aellen
  • Chenopodium album var. pseudopulifolium (Scholz) Abrom.
  • Chenopodium album var. spicatum W.D.J.Koch

and 55 more.

Characteristics

Growth habit
Forb/herb
Lifespan
Annual
In the US and Canada
Alaska: introduced, Canada: introduced, Canada: native, Greenland: introduced, Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced, Lower 48 states: native, St. Pierre and Miquelon: introduced

Photos

More in Chenopodium

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.