Ours is a love/hate relationship with this plant. The hate: my wife hates it because she feels that it makes our yard look weedy. She wil...Read Morel even mow the lawn specifically to cut the fast-recuperating weed down. There's no use in "weeding" it out; the plant is invasive here in Central Florida. The love: I have a lush and gorgeous meadow-like flower garden of natives and non-natives, and the Bidens flower has sneaked into it. Because I allow my plants to spread freely, the Bidens weed actually looks nice by offering its the daisy-like flowers and texture to the mass foliages. It's notable, too, that it loves being fertilized alongside my intended residents, and having been left unattended, several of the plants have grown into 3-ft tall, 1.5 ft wide "bushes" unlike the scrawny ones commonly seen along the streets of Orlando, Kissimmee...and our front yard.
This is a "weed" but a damn useful one. Below are their uses in my yard as well as my method to control them:
They are the...Read More host plant for Dainty sulphur (Nathalis iole) butterfly. They are also a huge pollinator plant in general as others have said, nothing is better to watch for many species of native bees than a drift of Spanish needles in full flush (September to October where I live) but they also attract many butterflies.
Their seedheads are a favored seed source for wintering American goldfinches and the rarer wintering Pine siskin. My goldfinches actually preferred these over the birdfeeder fare (nyjer and sunflower seeds). It's very cute to look out the window and see small flocks of these birds peacefully foraging on these plants together.
Green Deane at eattheweeds also reports parts of them are edible and are even cultivated in some areas.
The downside is that they will take over any bed you allow one into. This is why I keep all of them out of beds with anything under 5 feet in height (I have never seen them taller than 4 1/2 feet where I live) and mulch heavily in said beds. This is not like other "weed host plants" such as amaranth, pellitory, desmodium incanum, and cudweed-- they will NOT co-exist with others. Instead, I let them grow in certain beds in drifts where the only things I have are small trees and shrubs that they can't crowd out.
BTW since I let them do this I've had way fewer poison ivy plants sprout/pop up.
Tijuana, Baja California, México.
Some time ago I was sowing coriander seeds, with little success, I got some coriander raised, t...Read Morehese plants eventually withered and dried. After that, a plant sprouted from the soil, I supposed it was a coriander plant, so I grabbed some leaves to use them in cooking. But afterwards I noticed it grew taller than a coriander, so I started to suspect it was not coriander, I took the leaves and smelled them, but the scent was neutral. As nothing happened to me, I continued eating the leaves regularly in soups, they have a neutral flavor, I have even eaten the flowers. After that first plant, this species gradually colonized all my yard, it easily propagates, because it yields many seeds which easily stick to your clothes. I have observed many aphids gathering in the stem, near the flowers. However this plant is tolerant to aphids. The flowers are always visited by pollinators: flies, bees, bumblebees, moths, butterflies. After founding the name of this plant I discovered it has many medicinal properties:
Antibacterial
Antidiabetic
Antidysenteric
Anti-inflammatory
Antimalarial
Antimicrobial
Antiseptic
Astringent
Blood tonic
Carminative
Diuretic
Galactagogue
Hepatoprotective
Hypoglycemic
Hypotensive
Immunomodulant
Mucous Membrane tonic
Neuroprotectant
Prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor
Styptic
Vulnerary
Some sites sell the dried leaves of this plant to be used as medicine.
My dogs like eating the leaves of this plant, in addition to grass and epazote leaves. This plant is very persevering, it can resist drought, insects and diseases, it grows very fast. This plant is awesome. Some argue the sticky seeds are obnoxious, but it amazes me, because these seeds stick to any kind of clothes, very easily, they stick even to the skin, with no harm, of course. Forget velcro tapes, this kind of seed technology is better. This plant only deserves compliments, that is all. The best is that it's a native plant from continental America.
Someone else wrote "love/hate". That is perfect. For me, the over-riding "love" features are that small butterflies (skippers, hairstreak...Read Mores, etc.) absolutely love it, and the plentiful small white flowers are attractive. The flip side is that it really is a weed, found in sandy / poor soil often near drainage ponds. Intentionally planted in a watered garden, it explodes. It flowers from spring through frost; it spreads everywhere, though the seedlings are not hard to pick up; the toothed seeds from which it gets its Latin name stick to any cotton-like fabric and also hurt if they work their way through the clothing. It can grow to 6+ feet but mine seem to prefer spreading sideways. It fills in empty spots in the garden, does not appear to be squeezing out anything else; and as noted the butterflies (and bees) love it. So it is OK in my "natural" native garden - in another situation it may not be the best choice. I actually bought one from a native nursery specifically for butterflies before I realized they were growing all around a pond near my yard! Note - I have usually seen this called Spanish Needles, but I see DG refers to another plant with that name.
Talk about a love/hate relationship! Who needs a butterfly garden with these weeds around! Here in Leesburg FL, I have 6 varieties of swa...Read Morellowtails, Zebra LW, Gulf Fritillary, Sulphurs, Skippers, Hairstreaks, Azures, Coppers, Monarchs, White Peacock, Metalmarks etc. My list is 32 species and growing; people are amazed by all the butterflies out here ALL the time. It's pretty rural here with a wide natural canal behind the house, woods across from that, an empty lot next door with woods so there are a lot of micro habitats around. Other than host plants, my butterfly garden is pretty much ignored now because of these weeds. They come up EVERYWHERE by the hundreds! I was constantly pulling these out and had no clue where they were coming from. Last summer I had hurt my back and they got away from me: How Fortunate! I was pretty shocked by all the butterflies that came in and stayed around. I had quite a few butterflies before but they were in and out, they never really stuck around very long. These things are always in bloom, even in the winter, and are covered with butterflies and an assortment of bees. Once other nectar plants are gone, the honey bees and bumble bees flock in. The rest of the story is bad: If they came up by the hundreds before, it's by the thousands now! The seeds stick to everything, my poor dogs get all tangled up with them. There really is no controlling them; dead heading would be a full time job, the plants get scraggly and they don't have a scent to enjoy. But, for one so OCD about weeds, these have now found themselves several large devoted areas to grow. I wouldn't be without them now but I just wish they stayed inbounds where they belong!
I agree with the positive comments about the bees and butterflies but the "sticking power" of the seeds outweighs the positive. ...Read Morer />
These little devils will stick in your hair, clothing, pets fur and anything else that comes close to the (often 8' or more) Mama Shepherd's needle plant.
I still let some continue to grow and reproduce because the bees and butterflies are so happy with them.
The moral of this story is that those who garden have big hearts even for the naughty kids.
Hollywood, FL (Zone 10b) | September 2006 | positive
Although I can't look around w/out seeing these, or step into my backyard without getting it's seeds on some clothing, I would never give...Read More up this native for anything. It's easily mowed down, so I keep a section of the yard for these alone, and guess what? When the sun is out, I cannot walk by without seeing at least 2 butterfly species, some small moth-looking things which may also be butterflies, as well as dragonflies and bees! Nothing I have can compare to the appeal that these wildflowers have to insects.
Spanish needles also contain alkaloids which are essential for the sexual maturation of young male butterflies.
Plus, this is like our only real wildflower in SoFla. I've never even come across our state wildflower! :)~
This is the most abundant native plant in my yard. I have THOUSANDS of the seedlings in all areas of full sun to deep shade. It seems t...Read Morehat every seed that hits the ground is able to grow! I pull up as many as I can, but l leave some to grow along the back of flower beds since their year-round flowering does provide a nectar source for butterflies at times when nothing else is in bloom. The flower is an attractive, miniature "daisy" and would probably have value as an ornamental if the plant were not so prolific in self-seeding. At the back of the flower beds, it grows to about 4 ft high and blends in nicely with other plants.
Fort Lauderdale, FL (Zone 10b) | March 2005 | positive
As both noted above, it's a weed and it grows very well and almost everywhere there's moisture.
However in it's favor, during th...Read Moree winter months when there are not many nectar flowers for the butterflies that are around, this plant is in full bloom providing the nectar they need.
I purposly leave my yard unmowed December & January so these weeds will grow and bloom. They are a favorite of the many really small butterflies I get in my yard. I also transplanted three of them next to my Monarch area so the little butterflies would have access to them now that I am mowing again.
This plant is a Florida native.
Art
This is a major weed in central Florida, and many other areas of the tropics and subtropics. It really loves our sandy soils, and seedli...Read Morengs come up thickly as soon as the soil is disturbed. Left alone and with something to support it, it can easily reach 6 to 8 feet tall in a few months, setting thousands more seeds. I pull thousands of these every year to keep it under control.
Murfreesboro, TN (Zone 7a) | January 2003 | neutral
On one hand, this plant is great for attracting butterflies and puts on a nice show of blooms. On the other hand, it reseeds VIGOROUSLY....Read More If cultivated, be sure to deadhead reigiously or you'll regret it in ensuing years. A tender perennial usually grown as an annual (or a weed, depending on your perspective.)
Like its relatives, this Bidens disperses seed via seeds that cling to anything brushing against the seedheads.
Ours is a love/hate relationship with this plant. The hate: my wife hates it because she feels that it makes our yard look weedy. She wil...Read More
This is a "weed" but a damn useful one. Below are their uses in my yard as well as my method to control them:
They are the...Read More
Tijuana, Baja California, México.
Some time ago I was sowing coriander seeds, with little success, I got some coriander raised, t...Read More
Someone else wrote "love/hate". That is perfect. For me, the over-riding "love" features are that small butterflies (skippers, hairstreak...Read More
Talk about a love/hate relationship! Who needs a butterfly garden with these weeds around! Here in Leesburg FL, I have 6 varieties of swa...Read More
I agree with the positive comments about the bees and butterflies but the "sticking power" of the seeds outweighs the positive.
...Read More
Although I can't look around w/out seeing these, or step into my backyard without getting it's seeds on some clothing, I would never give...Read More
This is the most abundant native plant in my yard. I have THOUSANDS of the seedlings in all areas of full sun to deep shade. It seems t...Read More
As both noted above, it's a weed and it grows very well and almost everywhere there's moisture.
However in it's favor, during th...Read More
This is a major weed in central Florida, and many other areas of the tropics and subtropics. It really loves our sandy soils, and seedli...Read More
On one hand, this plant is great for attracting butterflies and puts on a nice show of blooms. On the other hand, it reseeds VIGOROUSLY....Read More