# marsh fleabane (*Pluchea odorata*) Marsh fleabane is a lovely plant that grows in wet areas like marshes. It has pretty purple flowers that attract butterflies and bees, making it a favorite among pollinators! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 5 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![marsh fleabane](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Plucheaodorata.jpg&width=800) Photo: Anthony Valois and the National Park Service, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Plucheaodorata.jpg) ## Appearance The marsh fleabane is a wetland plant with sturdy, upright stems topped by dense clusters of small, fuzzy, pinkish-purple flowers. Its lance-shaped, grayish-green leaves have serrated edges, making it distinctly textured and noticeable in marshes. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Asterales - **Family:** Asteraceae - **Genus:** Pluchea ## Interesting facts - Indigenous peoples traditionally brewed its leaves into a tea for various herbal remedies! - Its name 'fleabane' comes from an old belief that its strong smell could repel fleas! - Marsh fleabane helps stabilize wetland soils, preventing erosion during strong floods! - This plant is often called 'stinkweed' due to its unique, pungent scent when crushed! ## Special abilities - **Sweet Scent Signal:** It releases a distinctive sweet, camphor-like scent that attracts various pollinators, ensuring successful reproduction in its marshy home. - **Wind-borne Seeds:** Its tiny seeds are equipped with a feathery pappus, allowing them to be carried by the wind to new wetland locations. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-100 cm - **Spread:** 30-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer, Fall - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** [Monarch butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — Sips nectar, aiding plant reproduction. - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Collects pollen and nectar. - **Eaten by:** Cabbage looper (*Trichoplusia ni*) — Larvae munch on its leaves. - **Shelter:** Mallard (*Anas platyrhynchos*) — Ducklings sometimes hide in its dense stands. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [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. - [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. - [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. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always explore plants with an adult and never eat anything you find without checking first. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify marsh fleabane? 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 marsh fleabane? 30-100 cm ### How wide does marsh fleabane spread? 30-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on marsh fleabane? 0.5-1 cm ### When does marsh fleabane bloom? Summer, Fall ### Is marsh fleabane edible? No ### Is marsh fleabane toxic? None ### What is marsh fleabane's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Cameron Park Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cameron-park-zoo) — Texas, US · Zoo - [Butterfly World](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/butterfly-world) — Florida, US · Zoo - [Fullerton Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fullerton-arboretum) — California, US · Botanical Garden - [McKee Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mckee-botanical-garden) — Florida, US · Botanical Garden - [Naples Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/naples-botanical-garden) — Florida, US · Botanical Garden - [Naples Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/naples-historic-district) — Florida, US · Historic District [View all places to see marsh fleabane](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/marsh-fleabane) ## 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: [Marsh Fleabane: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/marsh-fleabane)