# virginia stickseed (*Hackelia virginiana*) Virginia stickseed is a lovely little plant with bright blue flowers. It grows in fields and along roadsides, making the world a bit more colorful! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 12 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![virginia stickseed](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/694863062/medium.jpg) Photo: no rights reserved, uploaded by Brandon, CC0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/694863062) ## Appearance The virginia stickseed has a tall, hairy stem with rough, lance-shaped leaves. Its tiny, pale blue to white flowers are clustered loosely along the upper stem. After flowering, small, round, intensely sticky burs develop, making it distinctive and hard to miss when they attach to clothing. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Boraginales - **Family:** Boraginaceae - **Genus:** Hackelia ## Interesting facts - Its super-sticky seeds inspired its name, because they 'stick' to anything! - One plant can produce hundreds of these tiny, hook-covered 'hitchhiker' seeds! - The plant's scientific name, Hackelia, honors an Austrian botanist named Joseph Hackel. - Though tiny, its flowers provide nectar for small bees and pollinating flies! ## Special abilities - **Hitchhiker Seeds:** Virginia stickseed has small, barbed seeds that easily cling to fur or clothing, helping it travel far and wide. - **Opportunistic Growth:** It can thrive in disturbed soil and open woodlands, allowing it to quickly colonize new areas where other plants struggle. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-150 cm - **Spread:** 15-30 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.3-0.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to late summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Biennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Feeds on nectar, aids pollination - **Pollinates:** common eastern bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — Visits flowers for nectar - **Symbiotic with:** [white-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Seeds stick to fur, aiding dispersal ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [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. - [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 plants without asking an adult first. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify virginia stickseed? 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 stickseed? 30-150 cm ### How wide does virginia stickseed spread? 15-30 cm ### How big are the flowers on virginia stickseed? 0.3-0.5 cm ### When does virginia stickseed bloom? Late spring to late summer ### Is virginia stickseed edible? No ### Is virginia stickseed toxic? None ### What is virginia stickseed's lifecycle? Biennial ## Where to spot - [Boerner Botanical Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/boerner-botanical-gardens) — Wisconsin, US · Botanical Garden - [Hoffner Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hoffner-historic-district) — Ohio, US · Historic District - [Irvington Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/irvington-historic-district) — Indiana, US · Historic District - [Mount Airy Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mount-airy-forest) — Ohio, US · Forest - [Anamosa State Penitentiary](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/anamosa-state-penitentiary) — Iowa, US · Historic District - [Blair Academy](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blair-academy) — New Jersey, US · Campus [View all places to see virginia stickseed](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/virginia-stickseed) ## 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 Stickseed: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/virginia-stickseed)