Fat Hen/Goosefoot

Chenopodium species.

Will fat hens get fatter if they eat fat hen? © JPM, 2022.

Names

As there are a large variety of Chenopodium (C.) species, naming them all individually would be quite a task. A few of the more common ones are as follows: C. album, commonly called fat hen, lambsquarter, melde, white goosefoot and, in the USA (incorrectly!), pigweed; C. murale, nettleleaf goosefoot or Australian spinach; C. glaucum, glaucous goosefoot for its thick leaves. Other international species worth mentioning include C. bonus-henricus, Good King Henry, a common European species, and the Americas are home to the now well-regarded C. quinoa and the much-loved Mexican green, huazontle, C. nuttaliae (Grubb & Raser-Rowland, 2012: 58). Australia is home to a number of common endemic species, including C. curvispicatum, cottony saltbush, and C. desertorum, frosted goosefoot, alongside many others. This article is concentrated on C. album, but I will touch briefly on some of the others below.

Habitat and Range

Fat hen has a global distribution, being cultivated by humanity since ancient times. Its various species are common throughout the world on every continent save Antarctica. It is adapted to survive some harsh environments as several of the endemic Australian species are desert dwellers. Generally, fat hen thrives in fertile soil disturbed by human activity: agricultural fields, orchards, parks, gardens and road verges. It is known to pop up in animal droppings such as cow pats (Low, 1991: 46), earning it even more nicknames like 'Dirty Dick' and 'dungweed'. I have regularly found it growing happily in mulched public gardens in urban areas. The non-desert specialised species prefer temperate and subtropical climes, although they grow well in India and the tropics during their winter. Fat hen has rather persistent seeds; large plants can produce more than 500,000 seeds viable for 30-40 years; some farmland can retain 50 million Chenopodium seeds per hectare (Low, 1991: 46)! If fat hen grows near you, it will always grow near you, be sure of that!

Figure 1. Distribution of Chenopodium (all species) across the continent. Atlas of Living Australia.

Identification

Key Identifying Features

• Shrubby herb standing 20-180 cm tall

• Leaves shaped like goose feet with jagged edges

• Leaves have a white blush resembling flour, especially on the undersides, which can be rubbed off easily (C. mulare - no white blush)

• Leaves and branches grow alternately

• Leaves turn red-purple as the plant matures into late summer (other species like C. quinoa may be shades of green, white, orange, yellow or purple)

• Branches and growing tips terminate with amaranth-like flower and seed heads

• Seed heads turn colour when ripe (usually shades of green, brown, white, orange, yellow, red or purple)

Look for a bushy, upright herb that can grow quite large (up to 180 cm or more). They are often branched; young stems may have fine hairs but these are absent on older branches. New growth, be it on young plants or old ones, is tinged with a white frosting (actually very fine hairs) which can be rubbed off, especially on the undersides of leaves. Leaves are jagged and broad at the base, very much resembling a goose's foot (hence the name). Some species, especially the Australian desert species mentioned above, may have a crystalline or frosty appearance. The nettleleaf goosefoot (C. mulare) lacks the white blush and hairs completely and can easily be mistaken for nettle (Urtica urens).

Figure 2. Stature of a growing fat hen (C. album). This specimen is probably a month or two into growth (I nipped some of it off for harvest prior to taking the photo). © JPM, 2022.

Figure 3. A close-up of the distinctive features of fat hen (C. album) foliage: blush, jagged edges and fine hairs all evident. © JPM, 2022.

Figure 4. Undersides of the leaves (C. album) exhibit a pronounced white blush. © JPM, 2022.

Figure 5. The blush can be rubbed off easily with the fingers (C. album). © JPM, 2022.

Figure 6. Smooth, blush-free leaves of the nettleleaf goosefoot (C. mulare). Other features of the plant are virtually identical. Atlas of Living Australia. © M. Bennett, 2022.

Figure 7. Fleshy leaves of glaucent goosefoot (C. glaucum). Atlas of Living Australia. © M. Sim, 2019.

Figure 8. Grey, small foliage of cottony saltbush (C. curvispiculatum). It is endemic to arid regions of WA, SA, NT and western NSW. Atlas of Living Australia. © R. Best, 2013.

Figure 9. Dull, tiny leaves of the desert or frosted goosefoot (C. desertorum). This is endemic to the arid regions of WA, SA, NT and western NSW.  Atlas of Living Australia. © M. Fagg, 2012.

Flowers emerge on compound stalks at the end of each branch and growing tip, very akin to amaranth with which Chenopodium is closely related. Leaves will be present up the length of the seed spikes. The flowers are tiny, typically with 6-10 protruding anthers. They pollinate and close quickly into capsules, each bearing a single seed. The seed heads often change colour in late summer, indicating they are ready to harvest.

Figure 10. Flowering stalks on fat hen (C. album). Atlas of Living Australia. © S. Pitt, 2022.

Figure 11. Close-up of a fat hen flower. Atlas of Living Australia. © R. Richter, 2020.

Figure 12. Close-up of the set seed pods. Atlas of Living Australia. © M. Fagg, 2012.

Figure 13. This fat hen is ready for seed harvest! Atlas of Living Australia. © M. Sim, 2020.

Figure 14. An example of the huge seed heads on C. quinoa. Quinoa often stands 180 cm or more tall and has various colours. Wikimedia Commons. © M. Shahid, 2008.

Culinary Uses

Most species of fat hen (and all of those mentioned above in this article) may be harvested for their greens or seeds. Young greens and the mealy white tops of growing stems can be eaten raw (but in moderation, see caution below for details). As a close relative of spinach, fat hen really shines when it is steamed or boiled, after which it can be used as a superb substitute for spinach in any recipe, with equal flavour to boot. Older leaves are best prepared this way in order to leach out their potentially toxic oxalates and gut-irritating saponins. I love mixing them with canned fish and mayonnaise for a nutritious and delicious sandwich filling.

Figure 15. Fat hen (C. album) harvested, washed and ready for cooking. © JPM, 2022.

Figure 16. Boiling all species of Chenopodium leaves prior to consumption is the best way to enjoy them (C. album, pictured). A careful observer may notice the scummy, white build-up of saponins on the walls of this pot, just above the water level. © JPM, 2022.

Figure 17. Cooked fat hen (C. album) ready for squeezing, chopping and use in my intended meal. © JPM, 2022.

Figure 18. Tinned wild-caught Alaskan salmon, boiled and diced fat hen (C. album), mayonnaise and sriracha sauce. Yum! © JPM, 2022.

Figure 19. The above mixture served on dark rye with cheddar. © JPM, 2022.

Seeds can be shaken out of heads with minimal threshing (Chenopodium seeds have no husks). These can be added to breads, biscuits, granola, milled into a nutritious flour, or steamed/boiled. We regularly pressure cook commercially-farmed quinoa seed with white rice, black rice, split peas and amaranth. I am yet to wild-harvest fat hen seed, either from C. album or one of the native Chenopodium species.

Medicinal Uses

Chenopodium comes up as a useful poultice for burns and other skin conditions like insect bites, itches, rashes and eczema (Apelian & Davis, 2020: 93-94; Apelian 2021: 81; Duke, 2001: 68). Simply mash the leaves in a mortar & pestle (or chew) and apply directly to the affected area, replacing as required. Apelian & Davis (2020: 93-94) further note that the crushed leaf poultice is decent at alleviating gout and joint inflammation (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis).

Apelian further notes that a decoction of the leaf (1 cup shredded leaf & 1 cup water, boiled for 10 minutes then strained) treats tooth decay and bad breath (Apelian & Davis, 2020: 94) and can calm inflammation from mouth ulcers and swollen gums. Swish the decoction in the mouth for a minute and spit out. Raw leaves can also be chewed for a similar effect. It is possible that oxalic acid crystals in the liquid perforate the bacterium causing the decay, thus reducing their numbers.

A few central American species of what were formerly Chenopodium but now mostly recognised as Dysphania (D.), specifically C. pueblense, D. ambrodioides and D. botrys, reek of varnish when their leaves or stems are crushed; D. anthelminticum is purportedly even stronger (Deane, 2011, who still uses the older taxonomy of Chenopodium for all). Their leaf and seed oils, especially the historically used wormseed or Mexican tea, D. ambrodioides, can be extracted with steam distillation and was once sparingly used to rid the body of worms, flukes and other intestinal parasites (Chevallier, 1996: 186), although he cautions it should be done only under specialist medical supervision. This drug is now banned in some jurisdictions. Duke does not recommend taking this medicine from these plants at all due to how toxic their oils are, but he does note a quirky use for it: a drop or two can be added to cooked beans to eliminate the flatulence afterwards (Duke 2001: 68-69; see also Duke 2002: 797-798)!

Caution

All manner of Chenopodium, like many weeds, have developed chemical defenses to prevent herbivores from consuming them. These plants are known accumulators of nitrates, which can become the more toxic nitrites in particularly high-nitrogen soils (Low, 1991: 46-47; Deane, 2011). The fatal adult dose of nitrates is 8-15 grams and nitrites is 1 gram (Low, 1991: 14). One would have to eat significant quantities of this plant (e.g. kilograms!) to be poisoned by these, but wartime doctors have reported this effect in starving civilian populations (Low, 1991: 15). Consume in moderation, especially raw, uncooked Chenopodium.

Similarly, Chenopodium contain oxalates and saponins in their seeds and greens. Raw consumption of these parts of the plant should be sparing, but cooking (especially boiling or steaming) will eliminate most of these toxins from the greens (Apelian 2021: 81). Seeds can be soaked for 24 hours prior to use to rid them of saponin content (Deane, 2011). Those susceptible to kidney stones or gastric upset should consume this plant only occasionally.

As covered above, some central American species of Chenopodium (now mostly categorised as Dysphania) exhibit a strong varnish smell from the crushed leaves or seeds. Such plants should generally not be eaten; medicinal usage of these plants was noted and cautioned against above.

Pollen allergies to Chenopodium flowers are also common. If you have common hay fever allergies, avoid disturbing flower heads until they set their seeds in midsummer, and/or remove flowering Chenopodium from your property by eating it when young. Be aware that guests may exhibit allergic reactions after eating the leaves and/or seeds of this plant.

Look-alikes

Chenopodium species have many look-alikes, including nettles (Urtica spp.), amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) and the aforementioned Dysphania spp., a closely-related genus which usually has lobed and segmented (pinnate) leaves. Most nettles and some Dysphania are also edible cooked, as long as they do not reek of varnish. In Australia, fat hen (C. album) in particular can be easily confused with orache (Atriplex prostrata), a plant I also happened to find during my foraging for it (see also Low, 1991: 47).

Figure 20. Hastate orache (Atriplex prostrata) has very similar leaves and white blush to C. album, but has a low, sprawling profile and its lobed leaves grow oppositely, not alternately. It is as delectable and edible as fat hen, fortunately! © JPM, 2022.

Figure 21. Hastate orache (Atriplex prostrata) has lobed leaves to boot. © JPM, 2022.

Young blackberry nightshades (Solanum nigrum and Solanum americanum), as well as the potentially fatal deadly nightshade (Atropa bella-donna) may also be confused with this plant, but entirely lack the usual mealy white young leaves of most Chenopodium species. The leaves of these Solanaceae-family look-alikes should not be eaten.

Figure 22. Blackberry nightshade (Solanum nigrum and Solanum americanum) can resemble fat hen (especially C. album & C. mulare), but lacks any white blush and has trusses of small 5 petaled flowers which turn into those familiar black berries. This plant will be covered in more detail later in this series as its ripe berries are edible (delicious, actually). © JPM, 2022.

Figure 23. Illustration of deadly nightshade (Atropa bella-donna), displaying every feature of the plant except its root system. Note that it does not have jagged, goosefoot-shaped leaves, which is enough to distinguish it from most Chenopodium. The flowers and fruit are also distinct. Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain.

Further Reading

Apelian (2021), Forager's Guide, p. 81.

Apelian & Davis (2020), Herbal Remedies, pp. 93-94.

Atlas of Living Australia, "Chenopodium." [LINK]

Chevallier (1996), Medicinal Plants, p. 186.

Deane (2011), "Pigweed Potpourri." [LINK]

Duke (2001), Edible Weeds, pp. 68-69.

Duke (2002), Medicinal Herbs, pp. 797-798.

Grubb & Raser-Rowland (2012), Weed Forager's Handbook, pp. 54-58.

Low (1991), Wild Herbs, pp. 46-47.