# Bitterweed (*Helenium amarum*) Bitterweed is a bright yellow flower that grows in sunny places. It has a fun name because its leaves can taste a little bitter! These flowers are great for attracting butterflies and bees. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 22 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![Bitterweed](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Helenium_amarum1.jpg&width=800) Photo: Clarence A. Rechenthin @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Helenium_amarum1.jpg) ## Appearance The Bitterweed has many slender, branched stems topped with numerous bright yellow, daisy-like flowers. Each flower features a prominent yellow-brown center surrounded by 7-13 short, wedge-shaped petals. Its narrow, sparse leaves distinguish it from other broader-leafed wildflowers. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Asterales - **Family:** Asteraceae - **Genus:** Helenium ## Interesting facts - Crush its leaves to smell a strong, unique, and bitter scent! - Despite its name, many bees and butterflies love its nectar-rich flowers. - If cows eat bitterweed, their milk can actually taste bitter! - It often grows in open fields, painting them yellow with its blooms! ## Special abilities - **Bitter Defense:** Bitterweed has chemicals that make it taste very bitter, which helps it defend against most animals trying to eat it. - **Sunshine Seeker:** Bitterweed can thrive in full sun and dry, poor soils, helping it grow in places where other plants struggle. - **Late Bloomer Feast:** Its cheerful yellow flowers bloom in late summer and fall, offering nectar when many other plants have finished flowering. - **Super Spreader:** Bitterweed produces many tiny, light seeds that are easily carried by wind, helping it quickly spread to new areas. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-60 cm - **Spread:** 15-30 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer-fall - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Moderate - **Lifecycle:** Annual - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen - **Pollinates:** [Common eastern bumble bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) — Collects nectar and pollen from blooms - **Pollinates:** Marmalade hoverfly (*Syrphus ribesii*) — Adults feed on nectar and pollen ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [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. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [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. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Don't eat any plants unless a grown-up says it's safe! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Bitterweed? 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 Bitterweed? 10-60 cm ### How wide does Bitterweed spread? 15-30 cm ### How big are the flowers on Bitterweed? 1-2.5 cm ### When does Bitterweed bloom? Summer-fall ### Is Bitterweed edible? No ### Is Bitterweed toxic? Moderate ### What is Bitterweed's lifecycle? Annual ## Where to spot - [Calico Rock Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/calico-rock-historic-district) — Arkansas, US · Historic District - [Cape Charles Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cape-charles-historic-district) — US · Historic District - [Shackelford County Courthouse Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/shackelford-county-courthouse-historic-district) — Texas, US · Historic District - [Verbena](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/verbena) — Alabama, US · Neighborhood - [Ellen Trout Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ellen-trout-zoo) — Texas, US · Zoo - [Africatown](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/africatown) — Alabama, US · Neighborhood [View all places to see Bitterweed](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/bitterweed) ## 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: [Bitterweed: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bitterweed)