# Seedbox (*ludwigia alternifolia*)

The Seedbox is a fun and colorful plant that grows in water! It has beautiful yellow flowers that attract all kinds of friendly insects.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Snaps:** 5
- **Habitat:** Wetlands, shallow waters, and marshy areas.
- **Also known as:** marsh seedbox

![Seedbox](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Ludwigia_alternifolia_%28USDA%29.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ludwigia_alternifolia_%28USDA%29.jpg)

## Appearance

The Seedbox is easily recognized by its distinctive square stems and small, four-petaled yellow flowers. Its most unique feature is the hard, box-shaped fruit, which turns dark brown and often persists on the plant after drying.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Myrtales
- **Family:** Onagraceae
- **Genus:** Ludwigia

## Interesting facts

- Even after the plant dries up, its cool seedboxes stay on the stems for months.
- Its fruit is shaped exactly like a tiny, four-sided wooden box!
- The Seedbox plant can sometimes grow roots right from its stems, not just from the base!
- You can often hear its dried seeds rattle inside their boxes like tiny maracas!

## Special abilities

- **Floating Seeds:** Seedbox has lightweight seeds that can float on water to travel far and find new places to grow, aiding dispersal.
- **Water Acrobat:** Seedbox can grow happily in very wet swamps, ditches, or even drier soils, adapting to different water levels.
- **Boxy Protection:** Seedbox has a tough, woody, four-sided seed capsule that protects its precious seeds inside from harm.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-100 cm
- **Spread:** 20-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer-fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen from its flowers
- **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — browses its leaves and young stems
- **Eats:** Mallard (*Anas platyrhynchos*) — forages on its floating seeds in wetlands
- **Pollinates:** Common Eastern Bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — visits its yellow flowers for nectar

## Traits

- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
- [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.
- [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Seedbox?

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 Seedbox?

30-100 cm

### How wide does Seedbox spread?

20-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on Seedbox?

1-2 cm

### When does Seedbox bloom?

Summer-fall

### Is Seedbox edible?

No

### Is Seedbox toxic?

None

### What is Seedbox's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Ebenezer](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ebenezer) — Georgia, US · Neighborhood
- [Manchester](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/manchester) — Virginia, US · Neighborhood
- [The Fan](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/the-fan) — Virginia, US · Neighborhood
- [Buford Mountain Conservation Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/buford-mountain-conservation-area) — Missouri, US · Nature Reserve
- [Martin State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/martin-state-forest) — Indiana, US · Forest
- [Muddy Hole Farm Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/muddy-hole-farm-park) — Virginia, US · Park

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

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