This exotic plant grows on rich somewhat sandy or gravely soils. Houndstongue is widespread and locally common in eastern U.S., infrequent west of the Great Plains, however, it is found in cultivated areas in Colorado from 5,000 to 9,000 feet in elevation. It is usually found in pastures, waste fields, and in bare and disturbed patches of stony or sandy ground. Kochia, a member of the Goosefoot family and is an annual, reproducing by seed. The stems are erect, round, slender, pale green, much branched, and 1 to 6 feet high.
Leaves are narrow, bright green, hairy, numerous and are attached directly to the stem.
The upper leaves are narrow. The flowers are inconspicuous in the axils of upper leaves. Kochia can be found in cultivated fields, roadsides, and waste places throughout the state, up to 8,500 feet. It has become a major problem on roadsides, waste places, and noncultivated fields. Leafy spurge is widely scattered throughout most of the northern half of the U.S., north into Canada from Nova Scotia to Alberta.