Kochia
Kochia scoparia (Bassia scoparia)

Family: Amaranth (Amaranthaceae)
AKA: Mexican Fireweed, Summer Cypress, Burning Bush
Photo taken on: August 19, 2008
Location: White Rock, NM
Life Zones: Plains to foothills
Habitat: Waste areas, roadsides

Kochia can grow to 7ft covered in soft hairs, with a woody base forming a pyramid or rounded bush. Stems can be reddish depending on age. Leaves are narrow and get smaller as they ascend the plant. Tiny yellow-green flowers grow from the leaf axils in dense leafy spikes.

It is an invasive weed growing in dense colonies and is able to establish itself and survive in harsh environments. When mature it breaks off at the base and becomes a tumbleweed to spread its seeds far and wide. It turns bright red in the Fall.

Flora of North America reference.