Orobanchaceae

Asiatic witchweed

Striga asiatica (L.) Kuntze

Family: Orobanchaceae
Genus: Striga

Pet and kid safety: not checked yet. Check pet-safe plants

Is yours looking unwell? Scan your plant — free

Common names

By language (2)

Chinese: 独脚金, 獨脚金, 獨腳金, 干草, 独脚柑, 矮脚子
English: Asiatic witchweed, Red witchweed, Witchweed

Synonyms

Buchnera asiatica L.
Buchnera coccinea (Hook.) Benth.
Campuleia coccinea Hook.
Striga asiatica var. asiatica
Striga asiatica var. coccinea (Hook.) Bennet
Striga coccinea (Hook.) Benth.
Striga eustriga Steud.
Striga pusilla Hochst. ex Benth.
Striga zangebarica Klotzsch

Characteristics

Growth habit: Forb/herb
Lifespan: Annual
In the US and Canada: Lower 48 states: introduced, Pacific Basin: native

Photos

Photo: Florida Division of Plant Industry Archive, Florida Department of Agriculture an, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Jayesh Patil from Mumbai, India, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Lungisani Giba, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Forestowlet, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Denis Bastianelli, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Forestowlet, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Susan Brown, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: korosianwilliam, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Susan Brown, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Striga

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.