# Rattail (*Stachytarpheta cayennensis*)

Rattail is a fun plant with long, thin flowers that look like little tails! It grows in sunny places and can attract butterflies and bees, making gardens lively and colorful.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 3
- **Habitat:** Urban areas

![Rattail](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Starr_061128-1614_Stachytarpheta_cayennensis.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Starr_061128-1614_Stachytarpheta_cayennensis.jpg)

## Appearance

The Rattail has vibrant purple or blue flowers arranged along slender, whip-like stalks. These long, spikey inflorescences give the plant its unusual name, resembling a rat's tail. Its small, oval leaves have serrated edges.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Lamiales
- **Family:** Verbenaceae
- **Genus:** Stachytarpheta

## Interesting facts

- Each little Rattail flower only opens for one day, like a tiny daily surprise for pollinators!
- Its scientific name, \*Stachytarpheta\*, means 'thick spike', describing its cool, long flower stalks!
- Some people make a special tea from its leaves, traditionally used to soothe a tummy ache!
- The Rattail's tiny seeds are so light, they can hitch a ride on the wind to grow in new faraway places!

## Special abilities

- **Endless Blooms:** Rattail can produce flowers almost continuously in warm places, offering a constant feast for buzzing insects and butterflies.
- **Tough Explorer:** Rattail has strong, adaptable roots that help it grow in many different soil types, allowing it to thrive even in poor soil.
- **Sun Seeker:** Rattail has leaves that efficiently capture lots of sunlight, giving it energy to grow fast and robustly in open areas.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 50-200 cm
- **Spread:** 30-100 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Year-round
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar from its flowers
- **Pollinates:** [Monarch butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — sips nectar to fuel its long migrations
- **Symbiotic with:** Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (*Glomus intraradices*) — helps plant roots absorb nutrients

## 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.
- [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.
- [Everblooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/everblooming): Everblooming plants produce flowers continuously or in repeated flushes over a long period.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [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.
- [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 ask an adult before touching or picking plants.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Rattail?

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 Rattail?

50-200 cm

### How wide does Rattail spread?

30-100 cm

### How big are the flowers on Rattail?

0.5-1.5 cm

### When does Rattail bloom?

Year-round

### Is Rattail edible?

No

### Is Rattail toxic?

None

### What is Rattail's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/panaewa-rainforest-zoo) — Hawaii, US · Zoo
- [Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hoomaluhia-botanical-garden) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden
- [Limahuli Garden and Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/limahuli-garden-and-preserve) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden
- [Tamiami Regional Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/tamiami-regional-park) — Florida, US · Park

[View all places to see Rattail](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/rattail)

## 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: [Rattail: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rattail)