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Bassia scoparia
Also called Mexican-Fireweed, Mock Cypress, Kochia, Belvedere, Summer Cypress, Mexican Firebrush, Red Belvedere
Bassia scoparia is a fast-growing annual herb in the amaranth and beet family, native to Eurasia and now widespread as a weed and ornamental. It is grown for its feathery shape and red autumn foliage, and it is easy to grow from seed in full sun.
Bassia scoparia is a large annual herb in the family Amaranthaceae (sensu lato) native to Eurasia. It has been introduced to many parts of North America, where it is found in grassland, prairie, and desert shrub ecosystems. Its common names include summer cypress, mock-cypress, kochia, belvedere, World's Fair plant, burningbush, Mexican firebrush, and Mexican fireweed, with the latter three names referring to the herb's red autumn foliage.
This plant is grown as an ornamental plant as evergreen foliage for landscapes, as well as for its red fall foliage. It has also been useful in erosion control on denuded soils. It has been suggested as an agent of phytoremediation, because it is a hyperaccumulator of chromium, lead, mercury, selenium, silver, zinc, and uranium.
Bassia arabica · Fivehorn smotherweed · Forage kochia · Smotherweed · Smotherweed
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Bassia scoparia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
