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CHAPTER 2; PLANTS
PIGWEED
INFORMATION IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
ENGLISH SETSWANA SHONA
PIG WEED THEPE NYEVE
INFORMATION IN ENGLISH
Pigweed is an annual great leafy green vegetable that many gardeners love to hate as it tends to show up in gardens
uninvited. This wild edible can be a beneficial weed as well as a companion plant serving as a trap for leaf miners and
some other pests; also, it tends to shelter ground beetles (which prey upon insect pests) and breaks up hard soil for
more delicate neighbouring plants. Because of its valuable nutrition, some farmers grow amaranth today.
Distinguishing Features: The stem of the pigweed is what makes this plant so distinctive. Stems are erect, and can grow
anywhere from 10 cm - 2 m high, but usually 50 - 90 cm, simple or branched, lower part thick and smooth, upper part
usually rough with dense short hair, greenish to slightly reddish but usually red near the roots.
Flowers: The flowers are small, green and crowded into coarse, bristly spikes at the top of the plant. Smaller spikes are
located in the leaf axils below.
