Pineapple-weed confirmed growing along an Anchorage street
iNaturalist: mallaith
Urban Ecology
That scruffy, low plant popping up in sidewalk cracks and gravel patches near you might be pineapple-weed, and crushing its feathery leaves releases a genuine pineapple smell that makes a fun identification trick for kids and curious walkers.
Someone spotted a patch of pineapple-weed growing along a road in Anchorage and logged it on iNaturalist, where other experts confirmed the identification, making it a verified sighting. Pineapple-weed is a small, tough plant related to chamomile that loves compacted soil and disturbed ground, which is why you often find it growing right in gravel driveways, sidewalk cracks, and trail edges rather than in a tidy garden bed.
Key Findings
Observation reached 'research-grade' status on iNaturalist, meaning the species ID was confirmed by community consensus
Located along W Seventh Ave in Anchorage, Alaska, indicating the plant's range extends into urban subarctic environments
Pineapple-weed (Matricaria discoidea) is known for thriving in compacted, disturbed soils like roadsides and trails
chevron_right Technical Summary
A pineapple-weed plant was confirmed growing along a street in Anchorage, Alaska, adding a verified data point to where this hardy little plant is spreading in urban areas.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
pineapple-weed (Matricaria discoidea) observed in W Seventh Ave, Anchorage, AK, US
Research-grade observation of pineapple-weed in W Seventh Ave, Anchorage, AK, US.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
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Matricaria discoidea, commonly known as pineappleweed, wild chamomile, disc mayweed, and rayless mayweed, is an annual plant native to North America, northern Asia, and Europe where it grows as a common herb of fields, gardens, and roadsides. It is in the daisy family Asteraceae. When crushed, th...