Hairy Crabweed
ExplorePlants
Hairy Crabweed
fatoua villosa
Hairy Crabweed (Fatoua villosa) is a fast-growing, opportunistic annual herb that has become a notorious weed across many parts of the world outside its native East Asian habitat. A member of the mulberry family (Moraceae), it thrives in disturbed soils, cultivated gardens, and commercial greenhouses, where it often hitchhikes undetected in the soil of nursery stock. Because of its rapid growth cycle and highly efficient reproductive strategies, it can quickly colonize empty spaces, making it a persistent headache for gardeners and agriculturalists. Despite its classification as an unwanted weed, Hairy Crabweed is a fascinating example of botanical adaptability. It has evolved to complete its life cycle in just a few short weeks, ensuring that even temporary patches of moisture and light are enough for it to produce another generation. Its success lies in its quiet resilience, easily blending in with harmless garden seedlings until it is already established. Spot a Hairy Crabweed? Identify it instantly with the Snappit nature app.
Habitat: Typically found in disturbed soils, agricultural greenhouses, nursery containers, and shaded garden beds.
Appearance
This plant is easily identified by its alternate, heart-shaped (ovate) leaves with serrated margins, which strongly resemble those of a young mulberry tree or a nettle. The entire plant, especially the stem and leaves, is covered in distinct, sticky, glandular hairs (trichomes) that give it a slightly dull, rough texture. It produces dense, globose, greenish-yellow to purple flower clusters (cymes) directly in the leaf axils. The plant typically grows upright, ranging from 10 to 80 centimeters in height depending on moisture and nutrient availability.
KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderRosalesFamilyMoraceaeGenusFatoua
Category
PlantsRarity
Common
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
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Interesting facts
Despite looking very much like a harmless mulberry seedling, Hairy Crabweed is actually a true herbaceous member of the mulberry family (Moraceae).
It is a notorious pest in commercial greenhouses, earning the nickname 'the nursery hitchhiker' due to its ability to spread secretly in potted soil.
Its tiny seeds are sticky when wet, allowing them to cling to gardening tools, pots, and shoes to travel even longer distances.
Special abilities
Ability
Explosive Seed Ballistics
The mature flowers can forcefully eject seeds over short distances, allowing the plant to rapidly colonize neighboring nursery pots.
Ability
Sticky Trichome Shield
Its stems and leaves are covered in glandular, sticky hairs that deter crawling herbivores and reduce water loss.
Ability
Rapid Life Cycle
It can transition from a newly germinated seed to a mature, seed-producing adult in as little as four weeks.
Measurements & details
- Length
- 10-80 cm
- Weight
- 0.01-0.15 kg
- Lifespan
- 0-1 years
- Incubation
- 5-14 days
Diet & Feeding
As an autotrophic plant, Hairy Crabweed produces its own energy via photosynthesis, absorbing water and vital minerals from the soil through its root system.
Primary Foods
- Sunlight
- Water
- Carbon dioxide
- Soil nutrients
Ecological connections
eaten by
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Spotted Cucumber Beetle
Diabrotica undecimpunctata
Folivorous beetles frequently feed on the soft leaves of the crabweed.
host plant
Green Peach Aphid
Myzus persicae
Serves as a host reservoir for common agricultural aphid pests.
competitor
Red Mulberry
Morus rubra
Shares the same family (Moraceae) and competes for soil nutrients and light on woodland edges.
Traits
No trait badges are assigned for this object yet.
Also known as
No aliases listed yet.
Collections
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Safety
Danger
1/5 · Very low
No special safety notes yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to identify Hairy Crabweed?
The easiest way to identify Hairy Crabweed is to use the Snappit nature identifier app.
How long is Hairy Crabweed?
10-80 cm
How much does Hairy Crabweed weigh?
0.01-0.15 kg
How long does Hairy Crabweed live?
0-1 years
What does Hairy Crabweed eat?
As an autotrophic plant, Hairy Crabweed produces its own energy via photosynthesis, absorbing water and vital minerals from the soil through its root system.
Where is Hairy Crabweed usually found?
Typically found in disturbed soils, agricultural greenhouses, nursery containers, and shaded garden beds.
How long do Hairy Crabweed eggs take to hatch?
5-14 days
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