# crossflower (*Chorispora tenella*) The crossflower is a pretty little plant with delicate purple flowers. It grows in cool places and can be found in fields and meadows, adding beauty to nature's canvas. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 4 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![crossflower](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Chorispora_tenella_4239.JPG&width=800) Photo: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chorispora_tenella_4239.JPG) ## Appearance The crossflower is a slender plant with small, delicate flowers, typically lilac to pink or white. Its four petals are arranged in a distinctive cross-shape, giving it its name. The narrow, grey-green leaves grow mostly at the base, sometimes with wavy edges. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Brassicales - **Family:** Brassicaceae - **Genus:** Chorispora ## Interesting facts - Crossflowers are super tough, often being one of the first plants to grow in disturbed, barren soil! - Each tiny flower only blooms for a single day, but a new one opens up every morning! - Its young leaves have a peppery taste, similar to mustard, and can even be eaten in salads! - The long, thin seed pods resemble tiny green needles, earning it the nickname 'tenella mustard'! ## Special abilities - **Survivor Roots:** Crossflower can grow deep taproots that help it find moisture in dry, sandy, or desert-like environments to survive. - **Speedy Sprout:** Crossflower grows and flowers very quickly, allowing it to complete its life cycle before harsh dry conditions arrive. - **Seed Spreader:** Its long, slender seed pods dry and easily break off, allowing them to roll in the wind and spread seeds far. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-40 cm - **Spread:** 5-15 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to early summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Annual - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — visits flowers for nectar - **Pollinates:** common eastern bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — collects nectar and pollen - **Eats:** crucifer flea beetle (*Phyllotreta cruciferae*) — larvae and adults feed on leaves - **Eats:** [American Goldfinch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-goldfinch) (*Carduelis tristis*) — feeds on mature seeds ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Biennial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/biennial): Biennial plants complete their life cycle over two growing seasons, typically forming foliage in the first year and flowering/seeding in the second. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/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](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. - [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 Always look but don't pick flowers, so they can keep growing for everyone to enjoy. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify crossflower? 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 crossflower? 10-40 cm ### How wide does crossflower spread? 5-15 cm ### How big are the flowers on crossflower? 0.5-1.5 cm ### When does crossflower bloom? Spring to early summer ### Is crossflower edible? Yes ### Is crossflower toxic? None ### What is crossflower's lifecycle? Annual ## Where to spot - [Rolling Hills Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/rolling-hills-zoo) — Kansas, US · Zoo - [Box Butte County Courthouse](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/box-butte-county-courthouse) — Nebraska, US · Historic Site - [Fort Washakie](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-washakie) — Wyoming, US · Historic Site - [Lehman Orchard and Aqueduct](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lehman-orchard-and-aqueduct) — Nevada, US · Historic District [View all places to see crossflower](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/crossflower) ## 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: [Crossflower: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/crossflower)