7 Poisonous Lambsquarters Look-Alikes

Learn to recognize Poisonous Lambsquarters Look-Alikes to avoid accidental poisoning. Some impostors, like Palmer Amaranth and Black Nightshade, resemble lambsquarters but have distinguishing features, such as larger size or toxic berries. Stay safe by recognizing differences in plants like Bittersweet Nightshade, Pokeweed, Carolina Horsenettle, Jimsonweed, and Ground Cherry.

Lambsquarters has been renowned for its highly nutritious taste in various cuisines worldwide for centuries. However, there are a few Poisonous Lambsquarters Look-Alikes that can be fatal if eaten, making it essential to distinguish between them.

Botanical Name: Amaranthus palmeri

Both of them have serrated leaves and similar growth. However, to draw the line of distinction, you must keep an eye on overall plant size and stem thickness, as Palmer Amaranth is larger and sturdier.

Botanical Name: Solanum nigrum

This one looks a whole lot like Common Lambsquarters! If you want to find the difference between them, look for the toxic black-round berries of the Black Nightshade.

Botanical Name: Solanum dulcamara

While this can be mistaken with Lambsquarters by untrained eyes, you must take a closer look. Unlike the lambsquarters, its leaves grow in pairs of 3. That is all you need to stay away from this poisonous plant.

Botanical Name: Phytolacca americana

People often mistake Pokeweed for lambsquarters when the plants are young. The best giveaway of this imposter is the red stem (lambsquarters have green stems). Also, pokeweed does not have serrated leaves.

Botanical Name: Solanum carolinense

Horsenettle also has serrated leaves and grows to a height of 2-4 feet. You can tell that it’s different from a lambsquarters with its tiny white-yellow flowers. The