# Pennsylvania Pellitory (*parietaria pensylvanica*) The Pennsylvania Pellitory is a small, green plant that loves to grow in shady spots. Its tiny flowers are a great place for butterflies and bees to visit! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 7 - **Habitat:** Typically found in urban areas, gardens, and along roadsides. - **Also known as:** Pellitory of the wall, Pennsylvania herb, Wall pellitory ![Pennsylvania Pellitory](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Parietaria_pensylvanica_BLM-001.jpg&width=800) Photo: Sheri Hagwood, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Parietaria_pensylvanica_BLM-001.jpg) ## Appearance The Pennsylvania Pellitory has slender, often reddish stems covered in fine hairs, and bright green, oval-shaped leaves that grow alternately. Its tiny, greenish-white flowers are inconspicuous, clustered directly in the axils where leaves meet the stem, blending in with the foliage. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Rosales - **Family:** Urticaceae - **Genus:** Parietaria ## Interesting facts - Its leaves feel like nature's Velcro, thanks to thousands of tiny, hooked hairs! - It’s sometimes called 'clearweed' because its stems don't ooze a milky sap when broken! - Pennsylvania Pellitory seeds are super sticky, hitching free rides on passing animals! - This plant can 'sneeze' its pollen with explosive force, sending tiny clouds into the air! ## Special abilities - **Clingy Camouflage:** Pennsylvania Pellitory has tiny, hooked hairs that help it cling to surfaces, and its green flowers blend right in to avoid being easily spotted. - **Crack Conqueror:** Pennsylvania Pellitory can grow in the tiniest cracks of walls and sidewalks, allowing it to colonize urban spaces where other plants can't. - **Fast Breeder:** Pennsylvania Pellitory produces many seeds quickly, helping it rapidly establish itself in new, disturbed areas before competitors arrive. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-40 cm - **Spread:** 5-20 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.1-0.2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Annual - **Pollination Method:** Wind ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Deer browse on its tender leaves and stems. - **Eaten by:** Virginia Tiger Moth (*Spilosoma virginica*) — Its caterpillars munch on the leaves. - **Eaten by:** [American Goldfinch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-goldfinch) (*Carduelis tristis*) — These birds enjoy feasting on its tiny seeds. ## Traits - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [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. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always wash your hands after touching plants. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Pennsylvania Pellitory? 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 Pennsylvania Pellitory? 10-40 cm ### How wide does Pennsylvania Pellitory spread? 5-20 cm ### How big are the flowers on Pennsylvania Pellitory? 0.1-0.2 cm ### When does Pennsylvania Pellitory bloom? Summer ### Is Pennsylvania Pellitory edible? Yes ### Is Pennsylvania Pellitory toxic? None ### What is Pennsylvania Pellitory's lifecycle? Annual ## Where to spot - [Blackstone Boulevard–Cole Avenue–Grotto Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blackstone-boulevard-cole-avenue-grotto-avenue-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Broadway-Armory Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/broadway-armory-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Clinton Hill Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/clinton-hill-historic-district) — New York, US · Historic District - [Customhouse Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/customhouse-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Downtown Providence Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/downtown-providence-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [India Point Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/india-point-park) — Rhode Island, US · Nature Reserve [View all places to see Pennsylvania Pellitory](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/pennsylvania-pellitory) ## 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: [Pennsylvania Pellitory: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pennsylvania-pellitory)