# Gallant Soldier (*Galinsoga parviflora*)

The Gallant Soldier is a small plant with bright green leaves and tiny white flowers. It grows quickly and can be found in many gardens and fields, making it a cheerful sight in nature.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Urban areas

![Gallant Soldier](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Estrellitas_%28Galinsoga_parviflora%29.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Estrellitas_%28Galinsoga_parviflora%29.jpg)

## Appearance

The Gallant Soldier is a small, upright plant with slender, hairy stems and oval to lance-shaped leaves. It has distinctive tiny, daisy-like flower heads, featuring five white ray florets surrounding a bright yellow center of disc florets, making it visually unique.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Its tiny seeds can sprout into new plants in just a few days!
- One single Gallant Soldier plant can produce thousands of seeds!
- The flowers often close up tightly when it's cloudy or rainy.
- This plant is named after a Spanish botanist, Mariano Galinsoga.

## Special abilities

- **Quick Sprouter:** Gallant Soldier has seeds that can germinate incredibly fast, helping it quickly colonize disturbed patches of soil.
- **Seed Machine:** Gallant Soldier can produce thousands of tiny seeds per plant, ensuring its widespread reproduction and survival.
- **Rapid Growth:** Gallant Soldier can complete its entire life cycle from seed to new seeds in just a few weeks, adapting to short growing windows.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-75 cm
- **Spread:** 15-30 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.3-0.8 cm
- **Bloom Season:** June to October
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Gathers nectar and pollen from its flowers.
- **Eaten by:** Cabbage moth (*Mamestra brassicae*) — Larvae sometimes feed on its leaves and stems.
- **Eaten by:** [Garden snail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-snail) (*Helix aspersa*) — Consumes its tender leaves as a generalist herbivore.

## Traits

- [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.
- [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.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [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.
- [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period.
- [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces.

## Collections

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

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always check with an adult before touching or eating any plants.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Gallant Soldier?

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 Gallant Soldier?

10-75 cm

### How wide does Gallant Soldier spread?

15-30 cm

### How big are the flowers on Gallant Soldier?

0.3-0.8 cm

### When does Gallant Soldier bloom?

June to October

### Is Gallant Soldier edible?

Yes

### Is Gallant Soldier toxic?

None

### What is Gallant Soldier's lifecycle?

Annual

## 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: [Gallant Soldier: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/gallant-soldier)