Kochia (Kochia scoparia)
ODA rating: B
Other common names
Fire weed, Mexican fire weed
Description
Annual; blooms July to October. Grows one to six feet tall. Stems many branched, round, slender and often red-tinged. Leaves one half to two inches long, alternate, lance-shaped with margins fringed with hairs. Leaf blades have three or five prominent veins. Flowers inconspicuous in spikes in the axils of upper leaves.
Impacts
Kochia is a highly adaptable plant that invades a wide variety of habitats in the dryer portions of Oregon. It provides a significant challenge to right-of-way maintenance professionals because of its ability to develop resistance to many herbicides. This plant has been reported to reduce crop yields in cereal grain by 100% in severe infestations. It is also an alternate host for beet yellows and tobacco mosaic virus.
Click on image to view larger photo
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Image courtesy of Rich Old, XID Services
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Distribution in Oregon
The first report of this plant in Oregon was 1964 in Baker County.
Map legend
Yellow: limited distribution in county
Red: abundant in county
Grey: not known to be present in county
Biological controls
No approved biological control agent is available.
Informational Links
WeedMapper
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