Copy permalink to share
Asteraceae
Bidens

not marked as a favorite taxon *Bidens pilosa Linnaeus. Habitat: Disturbed areas, ballast, waste areas near wool-combing mill. Distribution: Native of tropical America. Reported for North Carolina (Kartesz 1999), perhaps based on confusion with B. alba; known from ballast in se. Pennsylvania (Rhoads & Klein 1993).

Glossary (beta!)

Origin/Endemic status: Neotropics

Synonymy ⓘ: = Can, Fl7, K1, NE, NS, WH3; = n/a — C, F, Pa, Tat; < Bidens pilosa L. — FNA21, K4, POWO, RAB, Lizarazu et al (2024); > Bidens pilosa L. var. bimucronata (Turczaninov) Sch.-Bip. — Sherff & Alexander (1955); > Bidens pilosa L. var. pilosa — Sherff & Alexander (1955). Basionym: Bidens pilosa L. 1753

Links to other floras: < Bidens pilosa - FNA21

Show in key(s)

Show parent genus | Show parent in key(s)

Wetland Indicator Status:

  • Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FAC (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
  • Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACW (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
  • Great Plains: FACW (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
  • Midwest: FACW (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
  • Northcentral & Northeast: FACW (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)

Your browser does not support SVGs

Hover over a shape, letter, icon, or arrow on the map for definition or see the legend.

image #1 of Bidens pilosa© John Gwaltney | Original Image ⭷
image #2 of Bidens pilosa© John Gwaltney | Original Image ⭷
image #3 of Bidens pilosa© John Gwaltney | Original Image ⭷
image #4 of Bidens pilosa© John Gwaltney | Original Image ⭷
image #5 of Bidens pilosa© John Gwaltney | Original Image ⭷
image #6 of Bidens pilosa© John Gwaltney | Original Image ⭷
image #7 of Bidens pilosa© John Gwaltney | Original Image ⭷
image #8 of Bidens pilosa© John Gwaltney | Original Image ⭷

Feedback

See something missing or incorrect about Bidens pilosa? Let us know here:
  1. Please include your name and if possible, email in case when need to clarify what you wrote.
  2. If you opt out of including email, please be as specific as possible (e.g., which photo is incorrect?)
  3. Please do not submit questions asking to identify plants or about horticultural topics (e.g., how do I control an invasive plant in my garden?). Instead, those questions can be submitted here for the Carolinas region only.
  4. Please do not send us feedback about unkeyed species as this work is ongoing.
  5. Please allow time for flora edits to show in our next data release. We greatly appreciate your feedback but may require extra time to research complicated taxonomic issues.

Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro: Erect, or reclining with the tip ascending, annual/short-lived perennial of wet disturbed areas. Native of tropical America and weedy and invasive worldwide.

Stems: Stems grooved, branched, often rooting at lower nodes, smooth or with short soft hairs in the upper part.

Leaves: Leaves opposite, petiolate, mostly pinnately divided into 3-7, lance-shaped to oval, sharply toothed lobes; with soft, short hairs on both surfaces.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Composite flowers (heads) usually solitary or in open, terminal cluster; heads about 1/2 in. wide, consisting of 5-8 white, broadly elliptic, toothed ray florets (may be absent) encircling a central disk of yellowish, tubular florets; 2 series of bracts surround the bell-shaped base of each head.

Fruits: Fruit a slightly curved, 4-angled black achene, tapered at both ends and usually with 2-3 barbed awns.

Comments:

Height: 8-30 in. (may be much taller)

plant sale text:

bloom table text:

description: Erect, or reclining with the tip ascending, annual/short-lived perennial of wet disturbed areas. Native of tropical America and weedy and invasive worldwide.

stems: Stems grooved, branched, often rooting at lower nodes, smooth or with short soft hairs in the upper part.

leaves: Leaves opposite, petiolate, mostly pinnately divided into 3-7, lance-shaped to oval, sharply toothed lobes; with soft, short hairs on both surfaces.

inflorescence:

flowers: Composite flowers (heads) usually solitary or in open, terminal cluster; heads about 1/2 in. wide, consisting of 5-8 white, broadly elliptic, toothed ray florets (may be absent) encircling a central disk of yellowish, tubular florets; 2 series of bracts surround the bell-shaped base of each head.

fruits: Fruit a slightly curved, 4-angled black achene, tapered at both ends and usually with 2-3 barbed awns.

comments:

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range: