# Flixweed (*descurainia sophia*)

Flixweed is a tall green plant that can grow up to 1 meter high! It has pretty yellow flowers that attract many tiny insects.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Fields, roadsides, and disturbed areas across Europe and Asia.
- **Also known as:** Descurainia, Flixweed Herb, Sophia

![Flixweed](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Descurainia_sophia_eF.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Fornax ( talk · contribs ), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Descurainia_sophia_eF.jpg)

## Appearance

The Flixweed has a delicate, feathery appearance with finely divided, grey-green leaves. Its tiny, pale yellow flowers bloom in clusters at the stem tops. Small, upright seed pods follow, adding to its slender profile.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Brassicales
- **Family:** Brassicaceae
- **Genus:** Descurainia

## Interesting facts

- Each tiny Flixweed plant can make over 15,000 seeds! Wow!
- Its seeds can stay alive in the soil for many years! Wow!
- People sometimes use its flavorful seeds as a spice! Wow!
- Young Flixweed leaves taste a bit like mustard or cabbage! Wow!

## Special abilities

- **Seed Power-Up:** Flixweed can produce thousands of tiny seeds, ensuring many new plants grow, even in tough spots.
- **Hardy Helper:** Flixweed has strong roots and can thrive in poor, disturbed soils where other plants struggle to survive.
- **Sticky Traveler:** Its seeds have a mucilaginous coating that helps them stick to animals or shoes for easy travel to new places.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 20-100 cm
- **Spread:** 10-30 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.1-0.3 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late spring to late summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honeybee (*Apis mellifera*) — Gathers nectar from its small flowers.
- **Eaten by:** [American Goldfinch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-goldfinch) (*Carduelis tristis*) — Feeds on its abundant, nutritious seeds.
- **Eaten by:** [European Rabbit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-rabbit) (*Oryctolagus cuniculus*) — Browses on its leaves and young stems.

## 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 Flixweed?

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 Flixweed?

20-100 cm

### How wide does Flixweed spread?

10-30 cm

### How big are the flowers on Flixweed?

0.1-0.3 cm

### When does Flixweed bloom?

Late spring to late summer

### Is Flixweed edible?

Yes

### Is Flixweed toxic?

None

### What is Flixweed's lifecycle?

Annual

## Where to spot

- [Box Butte County Courthouse](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/box-butte-county-courthouse) — Nebraska, US · Historic Site
- [John Jay Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/john-jay-park) — New York, 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: [Flixweed: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/flixweed)