Trending: Redstem Stork's-bill (Erodium cicutarium) — 315 observations this week
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Invasive Species
Redstem Stork's-bill is one of the most common weeds invading lawns, gardens, and parks across North America and Europe, and tracking its spread helps communities understand how invasive plants are shifting with changing seasons and climates.
Redstem Stork's-bill is a small but tough weed you've probably seen without knowing its name — it has feathery leaves, tiny pink flowers, and long pointy seed pods that look like a bird's beak. Right now, hundreds of nature lovers are spotting and photographing it, adding valuable data to a global map of where this plant is thriving. Because it spreads so easily and blooms early in spring, keeping tabs on it helps scientists understand how weeds are responding to warmer winters and earlier growing seasons.
Key Findings
315 research-grade observations of Redstem Stork's-bill were recorded on iNaturalist in a single week, placing it among the most observed plant species globally for that period.
The spike in observations likely reflects early spring emergence, as Erodium cicutarium is one of the first weedy annuals to germinate and flower in late winter and spring.
Citizen science platforms like iNaturalist are capturing real-time phenological data on invasive weeds at a scale and geographic breadth that traditional research programs cannot match.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Redstem Stork's-bill, a widespread weedy plant with distinctive needle-like seed pods, is surging in citizen science observations this week with 315 research-grade sightings recorded on iNaturalist.
Abstract Preview
Redstem Stork's-bill is among the most observed plant species this week with 315 research-grade observations.
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Species Mentioned
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Erodium cicutarium, also known as common stork's-bill, redstem filaree, redstem stork's bill or pinweed, is a herbaceous annual – or in warm climates, biennial – member of the family Geraniaceae of flowering plants. It is native to Macaronesia, temperate Eurasia and north and northeast Africa, an...