Kochia scoparia.commons.wikimedia.org (Accessed 4/2014).

Kochia scoparia is an annual, C4 herb (Jacobs 2001), erect, to 1.5 m tall, pyramidal, bushy-branched, densely leafy, usually densely, finely hairy above, stems often reddish. 

Leaves alternate, no stalk, blade lance-shaped, to linear, to 5 cm long, becoming much shorter upwards and in flowering stalks, becoming bright red in Autumn. 

Flowers green, inconspicuous, to 0.3 cm, no petals, sepals 5, petal-like (winged); star-shaped; inflorescence of finely hairy spikes covered with leafy bracts to 1 cm long; blooming and fruiting Aug.-Oct. 

Fruit dry, winged (much like Cycloloma). 

Wetland status: UPL. 

Frequency in NYC: Infrequent. 

Habitat: Open soil, full sun. Escaped from cultivation. 

Origin: Eurasia. 

Notes: Soil pH 4-8 (USDA, NRCS. 2004).