# 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.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 2
- **Habitat:** Wetlands

![arrowweed](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Pluchea_sericea_1.jpg&width=800)

Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pluchea_sericea_1.jpg)

## 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.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Asterales
- **Family:** Asteraceae
- **Genus:** Pluchea

## 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

- **Deep Root Drinker:** Arrowweed has super deep roots that help it find water far underground, letting it thrive in dry places.
- **Floodplain Anchor:** Arrowweed can quickly resprout from its robust root system after floods, helping it survive turbulent river environments.
- **Salt Survivor:** 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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — visits flowers for nectar
- **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen
- **Shelter:** Desert Pocket Mouse (*Chaetodipus penicillatus*) — builds burrows among its roots
- **Eaten by:** [Mule Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — browses on leaves and stems

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [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.
- [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/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.
- [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment.

## Collections

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

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch plants without asking an adult.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify arrowweed?

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 arrowweed?

100-300 cm

### How wide does arrowweed spread?

50-200 cm

### How big are the flowers on arrowweed?

0.3-0.8 cm

### When does arrowweed bloom?

Late summer to fall

### Is arrowweed edible?

No

### Is arrowweed toxic?

None

### What is arrowweed's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Eagle Borax Works](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/eagle-borax-works) — California, US · Historic Site

## 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: [Arrowweed: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/arrowweed)