# Flax-Leaved Horseweed (*erigeron bonariensis*)

Flax-Leaved Horseweed is a tall plant with slender leaves that sway gently in the breeze! Its bright flowers attract butterflies and bees, making it a fun spot to explore for little nature lovers.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** It lives in open fields, disturbed areas, and along roadsides.
- **Also known as:** Common Horseweed, Erigeron

![Flax-Leaved Horseweed](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Erigeron_bonariensis%252C_Santa_Coloma_de_Farners.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Josep Gesti, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Erigeron_bonariensis%252C_Santa_Coloma_de_Farners.jpg)

## Appearance

The Flax-Leaved Horseweed is a tall, upright plant with slender, reddish-green stems and narrow, flax-like leaves. Its numerous tiny, whitish-purple flower heads grow in dense clusters at the top, later transforming into fluffy, bristly seed puffs that make it visually distinct from many field plants.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Ancient Invader! It arrived in Europe from South America centuries ago!
- Concrete Conqueror! It can sprout and thrive even in cracks in sidewalks!
- Global Hitchhiker! This amazing plant has spread its seeds to almost every continent!
- Seed Sprinter! A single plant can produce hundreds of thousands of wind-blown seeds!

## Special abilities

- **Seed Drifters:** Flax-Leaved Horseweed can produce thousands of feathery seeds, allowing them to drift far on the wind to colonize new areas quickly.
- **Tough Survivor:** Flax-Leaved Horseweed has a strong taproot and flexible stems, helping it withstand drought and grow in disturbed, poor soils.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-100 cm
- **Spread:** 15-30 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.3-0.7 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late Spring to Fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Gathers nectar and pollen from its tiny flowers.
- **Eats:** Horseweed Aphid (*Macrosiphoniella erigeronis*) — Feeds on the plant's sap and soft tissues.
- **Eats:** [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) — Browses on its leaves and tender stems.
- **Eats:** Fall Armyworm (*Spodoptera frugiperda*) — Larvae chew on its leaves and growing points.

## Traits

- [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.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

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

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Flax-Leaved Horseweed?

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 Flax-Leaved Horseweed?

30-100 cm

### How wide does Flax-Leaved Horseweed spread?

15-30 cm

### How big are the flowers on Flax-Leaved Horseweed?

0.3-0.7 cm

### When does Flax-Leaved Horseweed bloom?

Late Spring to Fall

### Is Flax-Leaved Horseweed edible?

No

### Is Flax-Leaved Horseweed toxic?

None

### What is Flax-Leaved Horseweed's lifecycle?

Annual

## Where to spot

- [Fullerton Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fullerton-arboretum) — California, US · Botanical Garden
- [Warm Springs Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/warm-springs-park) — California, US · Park

## 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: [Flax-Leaved Horseweed: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/flax-leaved-horseweed)