Butterweed

Packera glabella

Butterweed is a bright yellow flower that blooms in spring. It grows in fields and along roadsides, bringing color to the landscape and attracting butterflies and bees.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Butterweed has bright, sunny yellow, daisy-like flowers clustered atop tall, hollow, reddish-green stems. Its glossy green leaves are deeply lobed and often purplish underneath, giving it a distinct, vibrant appearance in fields and wet areas.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderAsteralesFamilyAsteraceaeGenusPackera

Butterweed

Interesting facts

Butterweed provides early spring nectar when other flowers are scarce.

Butterweed's scientific name, Packera, honors a famous botanist!

Its stems are hollow, like tiny green drinking straws!

This plant completes its whole life in just one year!

Special abilities

Butterweed can grow in very wet soil conditions, using its strong root system to absorb nutrients where many other plants struggle.

Butterweed grows very quickly in spring, allowing it to bloom early and spread its seeds before other plants can shade it out.

Butterweed's bright yellow flowers act like a beacon, attracting many types of insects, especially bees and butterflies, for pollination.

Measurements & details

Height: 30-90 cm
Spread: 15-30 cm
Flower Size: 1-2 cm
Bloom Season: Spring-early summer
Edible: No
Toxicity: Moderate
Lifecycle: Annual
Pollination Method: Insect

Ecological connections

pollinates

European honey bee

Apis mellifera

Collects nectar and pollen from its flowers

pollinates

Monarch butterfly

Danaus plexippus

Visits flowers for nectar during migration

pollinates

Common eastern bumble bee

Bombus impatiens

Feeds on early spring nectar and pollen

Traits

Flowering

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

Spring Blooming

Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.

Fragrant Flower

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

Medicinal

Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.

Edible

Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.

Pollinator Magnet

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

Rapid Growing

Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period.

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.