# prickly fanpetals (*Sida spinosa*)

Prickly fanpetals are fun plants with bright yellow flowers and spiky leaves! They grow in warm places and can be found in gardens and fields.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Habitat:** Urban areas

![prickly fanpetals](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Sida_spinosa_%2829473583876%29.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Dick Culbert from Gibsons, B.C., Canada, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sida_spinosa_%2829473583876%29.jpg)

## Appearance

The prickly fanpetals has delicate, fan-shaped flowers that are typically pale yellow to light orange. Its leaves are oval with serrated edges, and tiny prickles are found where the leaf stems meet the main stalk, giving it its distinctive name.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Malvales
- **Family:** Malvaceae
- **Genus:** Sida

## Interesting facts

- Despite its name, its small flowers are often visited by tiny bees!
- In some places, this plant is considered a challenging weed for farmers!
- It can grow almost anywhere, from sunny fields to cracks in sidewalks!
- Its seeds are tiny and can stay alive in the soil for a very long time!

## Special abilities

- **Spiny Defender:** Prickly fanpetals has small spines at its leaf nodes that help it defend against hungry plant-eaters.
- **Root Runner:** Prickly fanpetals can grow a long taproot, helping it find water deep underground and survive dry spells.
- **Seed Spreader:** Prickly fanpetals produces many seeds, helping it spread widely and grow in many different places.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 20-100 cm
- **Spread:** 15-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer_to_fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Gathers nectar and pollen from flowers.
- **Pollinates:** Painted Lady butterfly (*Vanessa cardui*) — Visits flowers for nectar.
- **Eats:** beet armyworm (*Spodoptera exigua*) — Larvae can feed on its leaves.

## Traits

- [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.
- [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.
- [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.
- [Spiky/Thorny](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spiky-thorny): Possessing sharp, pointed projections or spines on the body or surface.
- [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:** 2/5 · Low

Watch out for the prickly leaves when you touch this plant!

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify prickly fanpetals?

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 prickly fanpetals?

20-100 cm

### How wide does prickly fanpetals spread?

15-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on prickly fanpetals?

0.5-1.5 cm

### When does prickly fanpetals bloom?

Summer_to_fall

### Is prickly fanpetals edible?

No

### Is prickly fanpetals toxic?

None

### What is prickly fanpetals's lifecycle?

Annual

## 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: [Prickly Fanpetals: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/prickly-fanpetals)