Intro: Erect annual/perennial with prostrate, elongate, rooting bases, found in marshes, pond edges, stream banks and ditches.

Stems: Stems unbranched to freely branched and smooth.

Leaves: Leaves opposite, usually sessile, oval or lance-shaped, 1 1/2-6 in. long, not lobed, finely toothed and smooth.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Composite flowers (heads) 1-several terminating stem, erect or often nodding in age; heads 1 1/2-2 1/2 in. wide, consisting of 7-8 yellow ray florets encircling a slightly domed central disk of dark yellow, 5-lobed tubular florets; 2 series of bracts--the inner pale yellow and oval and the outer green and narrower--surround the base of each head.

Fruits: Fruit a flat or angled achene with 2-4 barbed awns.

Comments: Similar to Bidens cernua; ray florets of B. laevis are at least as long as the outer bracts.

Height: 1-3 ft. (occasionally to 7 ft.)

plant sale text:

bloom table text:

description: Erect annual/perennial with prostrate, elongate, rooting bases, found in marshes, pond edges, stream banks and ditches.

stems: Stems unbranched to freely branched and smooth.

leaves: Leaves opposite, usually sessile, oval or lance-shaped, 1 1/2-6 in. long, not lobed, finely toothed and smooth.

inflorescence:

flowers: Composite flowers (heads) 1-several terminating stem, erect or often nodding in age; heads 1 1/2-2 1/2 in. wide, consisting of 7-8 yellow ray florets encircling a slightly domed central disk of dark yellow, 5-lobed tubular florets; 2 series of bracts--the inner pale yellow and oval and the outer green and narrower--surround the base of each head.

fruits: Fruit a flat or angled achene with 2-4 barbed awns.

comments: Similar to Bidens cernua; ray florets of B. laevis are at least as long as the outer bracts.

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range: