# Artillery Plant (*Pilea microphylla*) The Artillery Plant is a small, fun plant that can grow in many places! It has tiny green leaves and can shoot out its seeds like little rockets when it gets excited. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 7 - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![Artillery Plant](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Starr_030807-0140_Pilea_microphylla.jpg&width=800) Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Starr_030807-0140_Pilea_microphylla.jpg) ## Appearance The Artillery Plant is a compact, bushy plant adorned with countless tiny, oval to rounded bright green leaves, creating a dense, moss-like appearance. Its minute, almost invisible flowers are often overlooked amidst the foliage, which thrives low to the ground. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Rosales - **Family:** Urticaceae - **Genus:** Pilea ## Interesting facts - Despite being tiny, it creates a dense, bright green carpet on the humid forest floor! - It's a relative of the stinging nettle, but this Artillery Plant is totally harmless to touch! - Its scientific name, Pilea, means 'felt cap' in Latin, perhaps for its tiny flowers! - This plant is a master of miniature gardening, perfect for terrariums! ## Special abilities - **Quick Re-Growth:** Artillery Plant can rapidly grow new roots from stem fragments, which helps it quickly colonize new areas if broken. - **Shade Seeker:** Artillery Plant has numerous tiny leaves arranged to efficiently capture dappled sunlight in dense, shaded undergrowth. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-30 cm - **Spread:** 15-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.05-0.1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Year-round - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Wind ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** Green Peach Aphid (*Myzus persicae*) — Feeds on its leaves and stems. - **Eats:** Two-spotted Spider Mite (*Tetranychus urticae*) — Sucks sap from the tiny leaves. - **Eats:** Grey Field Slug (*Deroceras reticulatum*) — Grazes on its delicate foliage. ## Traits - [Aromatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators. - [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. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [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. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always wash your hands after touching plants, just to be safe! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Artillery Plant? 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 Artillery Plant? 10-30 cm ### How wide does Artillery Plant spread? 15-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on Artillery Plant? 0.05-0.1 cm ### When does Artillery Plant bloom? Year-round ### Is Artillery Plant edible? No ### Is Artillery Plant toxic? None ### What is Artillery Plant's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Bok Tower Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bok-tower-gardens) — Florida, US · Botanical Garden - [Broadmoor](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/broadmoor) — Louisiana, US · Neighborhood - [Kahaluu Bay](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kahaluu-bay) — Hawaii, US · Historic District - [St. Augustine Town Plan Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/st-augustine-town-plan-historic-district) — Florida, US · Historic District - [Ke'anae Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/keanae-arboretum) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see Artillery Plant](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/artillery-plant) ## 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*) --- Source: [Artillery Plant: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/artillery-plant)