# Stinkwort (*Dittrichia graveolens*)

Stinkwort is a plant that can grow tall and has bright yellow flowers. It gets its name because it can smell strong and stinky when you touch it. It's often found in sunny places!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![Stinkwort](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Dittrichia_graveolens_flowersCloseup_12September2008_SierraMadrona.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Javier martin, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dittrichia_graveolens_flowersCloseup_12September2008_SierraMadrona.jpg)

## Appearance

The Stinkwort has many slender, branching stems covered in sticky hairs. It produces numerous small, bright yellow, daisy-like flower heads clustered at the tips of branches. Its narrow, green leaves are also sticky, giving it a somewhat ragged appearance.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Each Stinkwort plant can make thousands of seeds that fly far on the wind!
- It loves growing in disturbed places like roadsides and construction sites!
- Its super sticky stems feel like flypaper and can trap tiny bugs!
- When touched, this plant unleashes a strong, pine-like, resin smell!

## Special abilities

- **Sticky Shield:** Stinkwort has sticky, hairy stems and leaves that can trap small insects, helping it defend itself.
- **Powerful Perfume:** Stinkwort releases a strong, pungent, resinous smell when disturbed, deterring herbivores.
- **Seed Spreader:** Stinkwort can produce thousands of tiny, wind-dispersed seeds to quickly colonize new areas.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-150 cm
- **Spread:** 20-80 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late summer to fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Moderate
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Bees visit its small yellow flowers for nectar.
- **Eaten by:** [Sheep](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sheep) (*Ovis aries*) — Grazing sheep can become ill from ingesting the plant.
- **Eaten by:** [Horse](https://www.snappit.app/explore/horse) (*Equus caballus*) — Horses may suffer colic or other symptoms if they eat Stinkwort.

## 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.
- [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.
- [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability.
- [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:** 2/5 · Low

Don't touch or smell Stinkwort too much, as its scent can be very strong.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Stinkwort?

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 Stinkwort?

30-150 cm

### How wide does Stinkwort spread?

20-80 cm

### How big are the flowers on Stinkwort?

0.5-1.5 cm

### When does Stinkwort bloom?

Late summer to fall

### Is Stinkwort edible?

No

### Is Stinkwort toxic?

Moderate

### What is Stinkwort's lifecycle?

Annual

## Where to spot

- [Birch Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/birch-aquarium) — California, US · Zoo

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