# Annual Knawel (*Scleranthus annuus*)

The Annual Knawel is a small, green plant that grows close to the ground. It has tiny leaves and can often be found in fields and gardens, making it a friendly sight for little explorers!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![Annual Knawel](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Scleranthus_annuus_eF.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Fornax at German Wikipedia, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Scleranthus_annuus_eF.jpg)

## Appearance

The Annual Knawel is a small, mat-forming plant with many slender, branched stems. It has tiny, needle-like green leaves growing in pairs. Its almost invisible, greenish-white flowers lack petals, making them blend into the foliage.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Caryophyllales
- **Family:** Caryophyllaceae
- **Genus:** Scleranthus

## Interesting facts

- Ancient Romans sometimes used this tiny plant for medicinal purposes.
- Even though it's small, Annual Knawel can sometimes carpet entire fields!
- It's an expert at growing in cracks in pavements or rocky paths.
- Its name "Knawel" might come from an old word for 'knot', referring to its tangled stems.

## Special abilities

- **Speedy Seed Spreader:** Annual Knawel can produce many tiny seeds very quickly, helping it rapidly colonize disturbed areas and spread to new places.
- **Drought Dodger:** Annual Knawel can complete its entire life cycle quickly before summer droughts become too severe, helping it survive dry conditions.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 5-20 cm
- **Spread:** 5-20 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.1-0.2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring, Summer, Fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Wind

## Ecological connections

- **Depends on:** common earthworm (*Lumbricus terrestris*) — Earthworms improve soil health for the plant.
- **Eaten by:** black cutworm (*Agrotis ipsilon*) — Its seedlings can be a food source for these caterpillars.
- **Eaten by:** [European goldfinch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-goldfinch) (*Carduelis carduelis*) — Small birds like finches may consume its tiny seeds.
- **Symbiotic with:** arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (*Rhizophagus irregularis*) — Forms beneficial root partnerships to help absorb nutrients.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability.
- [Agricultural](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/agricultural): This human use trait describes species cultivated or domesticated by humans for agricultural purposes, including crops and livestock.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always check with an adult before touching or picking plants.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Annual Knawel?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Annual Knawel?

5-20 cm

### How wide does Annual Knawel spread?

5-20 cm

### How big are the flowers on Annual Knawel?

0.1-0.2 cm

### When does Annual Knawel bloom?

Spring, Summer, Fall

### Is Annual Knawel edible?

No

### Is Annual Knawel toxic?

None

### What is Annual Knawel's lifecycle?

Annual

## Where to spot

- [Lockhart Beach Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lockhart-beach-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Annual Knawel: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annual-knawel)