Red Tasselflower

emilia fosbergii

The Red Tasselflower (Emilia fosbergii), also known as Flora's paintbrush, is a charming and highly adaptable annual wildflower belonging to the aster family, Asteraceae. Native to the Old World tropics, this plant has successfully naturalized across many tropical and subtropical areas globally, including the Americas and various Pacific islands. It is well-regarded for its distinctive, brush-like flower heads that paint disturbed soils, grasslands, and roadsides with brilliant shades of crimson and deep pinkish-purple. Although it is frequently categorized as an agricultural weed, the Red Tasselflower plays a beneficial role in local ecosystems by offering a steady supply of nectar to diverse pollinators like butterflies, bees, and hoverflies. Its resilient nature allows it to quickly colonize barren or nutrient-poor soils, serving as an important pioneer species in ecological succession.

Habitat: Typically found in sunny, disturbed soils, roadsides, agricultural fields, waste areas, and urban vacant lots within tropical and subtropical regions.

Appearance

Standing between 20 and 100 centimeters tall, the Red Tasselflower features upright, slender stems that are smooth or minimally hairy and often branching near the top. Its leaves are highly variable, with the lower ones being lyre-shaped or deeply lobed, while the upper leaves are smaller, lance-shaped, and clasp the stem directly with their bases. The most striking identifier is the inflorescence, consisting of small, urn-shaped flower heads that lack outer petals (ray florets). Instead, they exhibit dense, brush-like clusters of bright red to purplish-pink tubular disc florets that project upward, giving the plant its paintbrush-like appearance.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderAsteralesFamilyAsteraceaeGenusEmilia

Red Tasselflower

Interesting facts

The common name 'Flora's paintbrush' is inspired by the flower heads, which look like tiny artist brushes that have been dipped in vibrant red paint.

The white fluff attached to its seeds resembles dandelion fluff, and children in tropical regions often blow the seed heads to watch the seeds float away.

While mostly considered a weed today, plants in the genus Emilia have been used in traditional folk remedies in various regions for soothing sore throats.

Special abilities

Each seed is equipped with a fluffy, white pappus that acts like a parachute, enabling wind currents to transport seeds far from the parent plant.

This species completes its life cycle within a few short months, allowing it to rapidly colonize newly cleared ground before other plants establish.

It thrives in highly disturbed, compacted, and low-nutrient soils where many other plant species fail to grow.

Measurements & details

Length: 20-100 cm
Lifespan: 1 years

Diet & Feeding

As a photoautotroph, the Red Tasselflower manufactures its own food by converting sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into sugars via photosynthesis.

Primary Foods

Sunlight
Carbon Dioxide
Water
Soil Minerals

Ecological connections

mutualism

Gulf Fritillary

Agraulis vanillae

Feeds on the nectar of the flowers, aiding in pollination.

competitor

Bermuda Grass

Cynodon dactylon

Competes for soil nutrients and sunlight in grassy lawns and disturbed pastures.

parasite

Cowpea Aphid

Aphis craccivora

Sucks nutrient-rich sap from the stems, potentially weakening the plant.

Traits

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Also known as

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Safety

Danger

1/5 · Very low

No special safety notes yet.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is Red Tasselflower?

20-100 cm

How long does Red Tasselflower live?

1 years

What does Red Tasselflower eat?

As a photoautotroph, the Red Tasselflower manufactures its own food by converting sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into sugars via photosynthesis.

Where is Red Tasselflower usually found?

Typically found in sunny, disturbed soils, roadsides, agricultural fields, waste areas, and urban vacant lots within tropical and subtropical regions.