# turkey tangle frogfruit (*Phyla nodiflora*) Turkey tangle frogfruit is a small, low-growing plant with tiny flowers. It loves to grow in sunny spots and can often be found in gardens and fields. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 18 - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![turkey tangle frogfruit](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Phyla_nodiflora_3_%28Corse%29.JPG&width=800) Photo: Ghislain118 http://www.fleurs-des-montagnes.net, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phyla_nodiflora_3_%28Corse%29.JPG) ## Appearance The turkey tangle frogfruit is a low-growing plant with creeping stems that form a dense mat of small, slightly toothed green leaves. It produces tiny, clustered flowers, typically white to pale lavender, with a yellow center, making them appear like miniature pom-poms. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Lamiales - **Family:** Verbenaceae - **Genus:** Phyla ## Interesting facts - Its tiny flowers are actually a bunch of even tinier flowers packed together! - Some folks call it "matchweed" because its flower stalks look like matchsticks! - This plant is super tough and can even grow where people often walk! - You can munch on its leaves, which have a surprising peppery flavor! ## Special abilities - **Soil Gripper:** Turkey tangle frogfruit spreads roots from its stems, forming a dense mat that helps hold soil in place, preventing erosion. - **Drought Survivor:** Turkey tangle frogfruit has tough leaves that conserve water, helping it survive long dry periods when others wilt. - **Pollinator Party Host:** Turkey tangle frogfruit produces nectar-rich flowers that attract busy bees and butterflies, providing them with a vital food source. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 2-15 cm - **Spread:** 30-90 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.3-0.8 cm - **Bloom Season:** Year-round - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen from flowers - **Pollinates:** [Monarch butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — sips nectar from the small white flowers - **Pollinates:** Common eastern bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — visits flowers for nectar and transfers pollen ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Groundcover](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/groundcover): Groundcover plants are low-growing vegetation that spreads horizontally to cover the ground, often suppressing weeds and preventing soil erosion. - [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. - [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. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. - [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 wash your hands after touching plants, just to be safe! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify turkey tangle frogfruit? 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 turkey tangle frogfruit? 2-15 cm ### How wide does turkey tangle frogfruit spread? 30-90 cm ### How big are the flowers on turkey tangle frogfruit? 0.3-0.8 cm ### When does turkey tangle frogfruit bloom? Year-round ### Is turkey tangle frogfruit edible? Yes ### Is turkey tangle frogfruit toxic? None ### What is turkey tangle frogfruit's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Charleston Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/charleston-historic-district) — South Carolina, US · Historic District - [Congress Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/congress-avenue-historic-district) — Texas, US · Historic District - [Darlington Agency](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/darlington-agency) — Oklahoma, US · Historic District - [Fort Caroline](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-caroline) — Florida, US · National Park - [French Quarter](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/french-quarter) — US · Neighborhood - [Ortega](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ortega) — Florida, US · Neighborhood [View all places to see turkey tangle frogfruit](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/turkey-tangle-frogfruit) ## 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: [Turkey Tangle Frogfruit: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/turkey-tangle-frogfruit)