# Virginia meadowbeauty (*Rhexia virginica*) The Virginia meadowbeauty is a beautiful flower with bright pink petals. It grows in wet areas and attracts butterflies and bees, making it a lovely sight in nature. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Virginia meadowbeauty](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Rhexia_virginica.jpg&width=800) Photo: Mason Brock ( Masebrock ), Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rhexia_virginica.jpg) ## Appearance The Virginia meadowbeauty has striking bright magenta to deep pink flowers, each with four broad petals and prominent, curved yellow anthers clustered at its center. Its unique square stems are noticeably hairy, making it visually distinct from round-stemmed meadow flowers. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Myrtales - **Family:** Melastomataceae - **Genus:** Rhexia ## Interesting facts - Before blooming, its flower buds are pointy and look like small, green jewels! - Its bright yellow anthers look like tiny bananas clustered in the flower's heart! - Some people call it 'deer grass,' even though deer usually avoid eating its leaves! - The plant's scientific name, Rhexia, means 'to break' because its stems can snap easily! ## Special abilities - **Buzz Pollination Power:** Virginia meadowbeauty uses 'buzz pollination' where bees vibrate its unique anthers to shake out pollen, ensuring efficient seed production. - **Sturdy Square Stems:** Virginia meadowbeauty has uniquely square stems that provide extra strength and support, helping it stand tall in often wet, soft meadow soils. - **Watery Seed Travel:** Its many tiny seeds can float on water, allowing the Virginia meadowbeauty to spread easily to new wetland areas downstream. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-70 cm - **Spread:** 30-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 2-4 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer to early Fall - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) — Efficient buzz pollinator for its flowers. - **Pollinates:** Viereck's Sweat Bee (*Lasioglossum vierecki*) — A small native bee that also buzz pollinates. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Occasionally browsed by deer, but not preferred food. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [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. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [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. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't pick flowers, so they can keep growing for everyone to enjoy. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Virginia meadowbeauty? 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 Virginia meadowbeauty? 30-70 cm ### How wide does Virginia meadowbeauty spread? 30-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on Virginia meadowbeauty? 2-4 cm ### When does Virginia meadowbeauty bloom? Summer to early Fall ### Is Virginia meadowbeauty edible? No ### Is Virginia meadowbeauty toxic? None ### What is Virginia meadowbeauty's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Connecticut College Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/connecticut-college-arboretum) — Connecticut, US · Botanical Garden - [Deep Creek Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/deep-creek-preserve) — Florida, US · Nature Reserve - [Harkness Memorial State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/harkness-memorial-state-park) — Connecticut, US · Botanical Garden - [Hempstead Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hempstead-historic-district) — Connecticut, US · Historic District - [Downtown New London Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/downtown-new-london-historic-district) — Connecticut, US · Historic District - [Groton Bank Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/groton-bank-historic-district) — Connecticut, US · Historic District [View all places to see Virginia meadowbeauty](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/virginia-meadowbeauty) ## 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: [Virginia meadowbeauty: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/virginia-meadowbeauty)