arrowweed

Pluchea sericea

Arrowweed is a tall, bushy plant that grows in wet areas. It has long, slender leaves and pretty purple flowers that attract butterflies and bees.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The arrowweed is a tall, upright shrub with many slender, gray-green branches. Its narrow, fuzzy leaves often have silvery undersides. In late summer, it produces clusters of small, pinkish-purple to white flowers at the branch tips, looking fluffy.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderAsteralesFamilyAsteraceaeGenusPluchea

arrowweed

Interesting facts

Even after a fire, arrowweed often sprouts back quickly from its roots, ready to regrow!

Its straight, strong stems were historically used by Native Americans to make actual arrows!

The dense thickets it forms offer safe hiding spots for many small desert creatures.

Tiny hairs on its leaves help the arrowweed reflect sunlight and save precious water in hot deserts.

Special abilities

Arrowweed has super deep roots that help it find water far underground, letting it thrive in dry places.

Arrowweed can quickly resprout from its robust root system after floods, helping it survive turbulent river environments.

Arrowweed can tolerate salty soil, allowing it to grow in places where many other plants cannot survive.

Measurements & details

Height: 100-300 cm
Spread: 50-200 cm
Flower Size: 0.3-0.8 cm
Bloom Season: Late summer to fall
Edible: No
Toxicity: None
Lifecycle: Perennial
Pollination Method: Insect

Ecological connections

pollinates

Monarch butterfly

Danaus plexippus

visits flowers for nectar

pollinates

European honey bee

Apis mellifera

collects nectar and pollen

shelters

Desert Pocket Mouse

Chaetodipus penicillatus

builds burrows among its roots

eaten by

Mule Deer

Odocoileus hemionus

browses on leaves and stems

Traits

Flowering

Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.

Shrub

A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground.

Summer Blooming

Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.

Fragrant Flower

Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.

Colorful

Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.

Pollinator Magnet

Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.