# green carpetweed (*Mollugo verticillata*)

Green carpetweed is a small, low-growing plant that spreads out like a green carpet. It has tiny leaves and can often be found in warm places like gardens and fields.

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

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

Photo: Eric in SF, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mollugo_verticillata.jpg)

## Appearance

The green carpetweed is a low-growing plant forming dense, flat mats on the ground. It has unique narrow, spoon-shaped leaves arranged in star-like whorls around its stems. Tiny, inconspicuous white to greenish flowers grow from the leaf bases.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Caryophyllales
- **Family:** Molluginaceae
- **Genus:** Mollugo

## Interesting facts

- Even though it's tiny, its leaves were traditionally eaten like spinach in some cultures.
- It can grow in places other plants can't, like cracks in sidewalks or bare, sandy patches.
- Look closely! Its tiny flowers are so small they are barely bigger than a pinhead!
- This plant is so good at spreading, it often forms a living 'green carpet' over open ground!

## Special abilities

- **Drought Survivor:** Green carpetweed has strong roots and efficient water use, allowing it to thrive in dry, sandy soils where others struggle.
- **Seed Spreader:** Green carpetweed produces many tiny seeds that are easily dispersed by wind and water, helping it colonize new areas rapidly.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 5-20 cm
- **Spread:** 30-90 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.2-0.3 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late spring to fall
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — helps flowers create seeds
- **Pollinates:** Marmalade Hoverfly (*Syrphus ribesii*) — visits flowers for nectar
- **Eaten by:** [European Rabbit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-rabbit) (*Oryctolagus cuniculus*) — a snack for hungry rabbits
- **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — occasionally browsed by deer

## Collections

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

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always wash your hands after touching plants, just to be safe!

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify green carpetweed?

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 green carpetweed?

5-20 cm

### How wide does green carpetweed spread?

30-90 cm

### How big are the flowers on green carpetweed?

0.2-0.3 cm

### When does green carpetweed bloom?

Late spring to fall

### Is green carpetweed edible?

Yes

### Is green carpetweed toxic?

None

### What is green carpetweed's lifecycle?

Annual

## Where to spot

- [Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lady-bird-johnson-wildflower-center) — Texas, US · Botanical Garden

## 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: [Green Carpetweed: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/green-carpetweed)