Smallfruit beggarticks
Pictured above: Smallfruit beggarticks (Bidens mitis) by Emily Bell. Click on terms for botanical definitions. View post as a PDF.
Smallfruit beggarticks (Bidens mitis) is an annual herbaceous wildflower. Its conspicuous blooms consist of eight bright yellow ray florets surrounding many yellow disk florets. Leaves are oppositely arranged and variable in shape, but are usually lanceolate. Margins may be toothed or lobed. Stems are thin, branched and weak, often bending under the weight of the flower. Fruits are achenes. Seeds are small and dark with many fine hairs, allowing them to stick to clothing, fur or feathers to be carried to a new area.
Smallfruit beggarticks typically blooms late spring through late fall, but can bloom year-round. It occurs in wet prairies and along fresh and brackish marsh edges. The flowers attract many bees and butterflies and are an important source of nectar.
Family: Asteraceae (Aster, daisy or composite family)
Native range: Nearly throughout Florida, except extreme southern counties
To see where natural populations of Smallfruit beggarticks have been vouchered, visit florida.plantatlas.usf.edu.
Lifespan: Annual
Soil: Moist to wet
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Growth habit: 2–2½’ tall
Propagation: Seed
Florida regions of landscape suitability: North, Central, South
Garden tips: Smallfruit beggarticks are best suited for wetland restoration projects.
Plants are occasionally available from nurseries that specialize in Florida native plants. Visit www.PlantRealFlorida.org to find a nursery in your area.
Learn more about Smallfruit beggarticks from the Florida Native Plant Society and the Institute for Regional Conservation.
For information on other Bidens species, see these resources:
Burr marigold
