Plant · GBIF taxon 5392174
Devil's Beggarticks
Bidens frondosaAlso known as Sticktights, Devil's Pitchfork, Bur Marigold, Leafy Beggarticks
Devil's beggarticks thrives in damp wetlands, drainage ditches, and riverbanks, producing modest flower heads encircled by prominent, leafy green bracts. Each flat seed bears two barbed prongs resembling a pitchfork, designed to latch securely into animal fur and hiker clothing for effortless hitchhiking. This clever dispersal strategy has allowed this opportunistic annual to spread far beyond its native North American waterways into moist habitats across the globe.
WetlandFloweringHerbaceous
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Autotroph (Photosynthetic)
Predators
- White-tailed Deer
- Marsh Rabbit
- Leaf Beetles
ThreatsWetland drainage, prolonged drought, and widespread herbicide use
HabitatsMarshes, riverbanks, muddy shores, roadside ditches, and damp waste ground
Life span1 year (annual)
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderAsterales
- FamilyAsteraceae
- GenusBidens
- SpeciesBidens frondosa
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Clothing Awareness: Expect barbed seeds to cling stubbornly to socks and pet fur in autumn.
- Identification: Look for divided leaves with three to five distinct, sharply toothed leaflets.
Pollinator Andreas Trepte / CC BY-SA 2.5 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Tom Brandt, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Stefan.lefnaer, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Image unavailableClose Relative
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