# Sneezewort (*Achillea ptarmica*)

Sneezewort is a pretty flower that can make you sneeze! It has white petals and grows in sunny places. People love to see it in gardens and fields.

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

![Sneezewort](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Achillea_ptarmica_-_v%C3%B5sa-raudrohi.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Achillea_ptarmica_-_v%C3%B5sa-raudrohi.jpg)

## Appearance

The Sneezewort has numerous small, button-like white flowers, often with a frilly, double appearance, that bloom in clusters. Its slender, dark green leaves are finely toothed along the stems. This elegant perennial creates a bright, airy display in damp environments.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Asterales
- **Family:** Asteraceae
- **Genus:** Achillea

## Interesting facts

- Despite its name, smelling Sneezewort itself won't usually make you sneeze!
- Its scientific name, 'ptarmica,' comes from a Greek word meaning 'to cause sneezing'!
- Some garden varieties have so many tiny petals, their flowers look like miniature white pompoms!
- This plant is a relative of the common Yarrow, both belonging to the same scientific genus.

## Special abilities

- **Waterlogged Warrior:** Sneezewort can thrive in damp or even waterlogged soils, using specialized roots to get oxygen where other plants struggle.
- **Insect Beacon:** Sneezewort's bright white, clustered flowers act like a landing strip, attracting many different insect pollinators from afar.
- **Underground Traveler:** Sneezewort spreads vigorously via rhizomes, allowing it to colonize new ground and create dense, supportive colonies.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-90 cm
- **Spread:** 30-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer to early Autumn
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Western honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Collects nectar and pollen from flowers.
- **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen.
- **Pollinates:** Painted lady butterfly (*Vanessa cardui*) — Feeds on nectar, helping transfer pollen.

## Traits

- [Aromatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators.
- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem.
- [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.
- [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [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.

## Collections

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

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch flowers without asking an adult.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Sneezewort?

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 Sneezewort?

30-90 cm

### How wide does Sneezewort spread?

30-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on Sneezewort?

1-2 cm

### When does Sneezewort bloom?

Summer to early Autumn

### Is Sneezewort edible?

No

### Is Sneezewort toxic?

None

### What is Sneezewort's lifecycle?

Perennial

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