# leafcup (*Polymnia canadensis*) The leafcup is a special plant with big, green leaves that can hold water like a cup! It grows in shady places and is loved by many little creatures in the forest. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 3 - **Habitat:** Forests ![leafcup](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Polymnia_canadensis_BB-1913.png&width=800) Photo: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 vols. Charles S, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Polymnia_canadensis_BB-1913.png) ## Appearance The leafcup has large, deeply lobed green leaves that join at the stem, sometimes forming a small cup. Its branched stems bear tiny, pale yellow to white daisy-like flowers, often lacking prominent petals, making them look like small buttons. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Asterales - **Family:** Asteraceae - **Genus:** Polymnia ## Interesting facts - Early naturalists sometimes called this plant 'bearsfoot' because its big leaves look like a bear's paw! - Even though it's a relative of giant sunflowers, leafcup's blooms are usually only pencil-eraser size! - Its scientific name, Polymnia, comes from the Greek goddess of sacred hymns! - The 'cup' in leafcup comes from how its leaves join around the stem, like a tiny cup! ## Special abilities - **Rainy Season Cup:** Leafcup has cup-shaped leaf bases that can collect rainwater, providing tiny drinking pools for thirsty insects! - **Shadow Hunter:** Leafcup can grow well in shady woodland spots, using its broad leaves to soak up even faint sunlight for energy. - **Sticky Shield:** Leafcup stems are often covered in sticky hairs, helping to deter small crawling pests from damaging its leaves and flowers. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 50-150 cm - **Spread:** 30-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late summer to fall - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits its small flowers for nectar and pollen. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Sometimes browses on leafcup leaves and young stems. - **Eaten by:** Leafcup borer moth (*Crocidophora serratissimalis*) — Its larvae tunnel into the plant's stems to feed. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [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. - [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [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. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch plants unless you know they are safe. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify leafcup? 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 leafcup? 50-150 cm ### How wide does leafcup spread? 30-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on leafcup? 0.5-1.5 cm ### When does leafcup bloom? Late summer to fall ### Is leafcup edible? No ### Is leafcup toxic? None ### What is leafcup's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Boerner Botanical Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/boerner-botanical-gardens) — Wisconsin, US · Botanical Garden - [Ice Age Trail](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ice-age-trail) — Wisconsin, US · National Park - [Great Falls Dam](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/great-falls-dam) — Tennessee, US · Historic Site - [Lost Cove Cave](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lost-cove-cave) — Tennessee, US · Nature Reserve - [Pleasant Hill](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pleasant-hill) — Kentucky, US · Neighborhood - [Stanley M. Rowe Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/stanley-m-rowe-arboretum) — Ohio, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see leafcup](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/leafcup) ## 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: [Leafcup: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/leafcup)