Stems erect or ascending, 1.5-6(-8) dm. Leaf blades: margins deeply dentate. Vertical seeds 0.6-0.8(-1) mm diam.

Fruiting Aug-Oct. Moist open areas, salt marshes, occasionally in weedy areas; 0-100 m; Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., N.W.T., N.S., Ont., Que., Sask., Yukon; Alaska, Ariz., Calif., Colo., Conn., Idaho, Ill., Iowa, Kans., Mass., Mich., Minn., Mo., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.H., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., N.Dak., Ohio, Oreg., Pa., R.I., S.Dak., Utah, Wash., Wis., Wyo.; Europe.

Hybrids between Chenopodium rubrum and C. glaucum are known as C. ×schulzeanum Murr and have been seen from waste areas in Illinois and Washington. These plants in general resemble C. rubrum with small, mealy leaves and horizontal seeds, but they also have some leaves shaped like those of C. glaucum.