# Wingstem (*Verbesina alternifolia*) Wingstem is a tall plant with bright yellow flowers that look like little suns! 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:** Fields and roadsides ![Wingstem](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Verbesina_alternifolia0.jpg&width=800) Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Verbesina_alternifolia0.jpg) ## Appearance The Wingstem has unique winged, square-shaped stems and bright yellow, daisy-like flowers with drooping ray petals. Its alternate, toothed leaves are rough, growing prominently along its tall, sturdy stalks, giving it a distinctive, angular appearance. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Asterales - **Family:** Asteraceae - **Genus:** Verbesina ## Interesting facts - Honeybees and monarch butterflies absolutely love to sip sweet nectar from its sunny yellow blooms. - Its stem is one of the few plants with cool 'wings' that run all the way down, making it super unique! - Many songbirds, especially goldfinches, enjoy munching on the tiny, nutritious seeds it produces in the fall. - Wingstem can grow taller than most grown-ups, sometimes reaching up to 8 feet in just one summer! ## Special abilities - **Winged Power Stems:** Wingstem has unique, winged square stems that make it extra strong and sturdy, helping it stand tall even in windy weather. - **Pollinator Party Beacon:** Its bright yellow, nectar-rich flowers are a magnet for bees and butterflies, helping them find food and spreading its pollen far and wide. - **Tough Spot Survivor:** Wingstem can thrive in tough spots like roadsides and disturbed lands, using its strong roots to colonize new areas quickly. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 120-240 cm - **Spread:** 60-90 cm - **Flower Size:** 2.5-5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late_summer, Fall - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen - **Pollinates:** [Monarch butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — sips nectar from flowers - **Eaten by:** [American Goldfinch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-goldfinch) (*Carduelis tristis*) — feeds on its mature seeds - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — may browse on young foliage ## 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. - [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. - [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. ## 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 Wingstem? 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 Wingstem? 120-240 cm ### How wide does Wingstem spread? 60-90 cm ### How big are the flowers on Wingstem? 2.5-5 cm ### When does Wingstem bloom? Late_summer, Fall ### Is Wingstem edible? No ### Is Wingstem toxic? None ### What is Wingstem's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Cleveland Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cleveland-park) — District of Columbia, US · Neighborhood - [Kickapoo State Recreation Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kickapoo-state-recreation-area) — Illinois, US · State Park - [Lafayette Square Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lafayette-square-historic-district) — District of Columbia, US · Historic District - [Red Hill Patrick Henry National Memorial](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/red-hill-patrick-henry-national-memorial) — Virginia, US · National Park - [West Potomac Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/west-potomac-park) — District of Columbia, US · Park - [Woodley Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/woodley-park) — District of Columbia, US · Neighborhood [View all places to see Wingstem](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/wingstem) ## 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: [Wingstem: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/wingstem)