# lilac tasselflower (*Emilia sonchifolia*)

The lilac tasselflower is a pretty plant with soft, fluffy purple flowers. It grows in sunny places and can be found in gardens and fields, bringing color to the world around us.

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

![lilac tasselflower](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Emilia_sonchifolia_4.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Pieter Pelser, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Emilia_sonchifolia_4.jpg)

## Appearance

The lilac tasselflower is a slender, upright plant featuring clusters of small, purplish-lilac flowers that resemble miniature tassels. Its smooth stems and slightly wavy, sometimes toothed, green leaves provide a simple backdrop to its vibrant, unique blooms.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Did you know this plant is sometimes called "Cupid's Shaving Brush" because of its fluffy, colorful flowers?
- Even though it's beautiful, this quick-growing plant is considered a weed in many tropical countries!
- Its flowers are not single blooms, but clusters of many tiny florets!
- Its young leaves are eaten raw or cooked in parts of Asia, tasting a bit like spinach!

## Special abilities

- **Global Wanderer Seeds:** Lilac tasselflower has tiny seeds with feathery parachutes that catch the wind, helping it spread far and wide to new locations.
- **Quick Colonizer:** It can grow and produce seeds very quickly, allowing it to rapidly take over disturbed ground and open spaces.
- **Healing Power:** Some cultures use its leaves and stems in traditional medicine to help soothe various ailments and irritations.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 20-60 cm
- **Spread:** 15-30 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Year-round in warm climates, summer to fall elsewhere
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Collects nectar and pollen from its flowers.
- **Pollinates:** [Monarch butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — Visits flowers for nectar.
- **Eats:** Crimson Speckled Flunkey Moth (*Utetheisa pulchella*) — Its caterpillars feed on the leaves.

## Traits

- [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.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [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 look but don't touch flowers without asking an adult first.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify lilac tasselflower?

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 lilac tasselflower?

20-60 cm

### How wide does lilac tasselflower spread?

15-30 cm

### How big are the flowers on lilac tasselflower?

0.5-1.5 cm

### When does lilac tasselflower bloom?

Year-round in warm climates, summer to fall elsewhere

### Is lilac tasselflower edible?

Yes

### Is lilac tasselflower toxic?

None

### What is lilac tasselflower's lifecycle?

Annual

## Where to spot

- [Ke'anae Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/keanae-arboretum) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden
- [Mitchell Nutter Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mitchell-nutter-park) — Florida, 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: [Lilac Tasselflower: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lilac-tasselflower)