This weedy native wildflower is popping up everywhere right now
iNaturalist Community
Native Plants
If you've spotted a tall, loosely branched plant with fuzzy white-tufted seed heads colonizing a disturbed patch of your yard or a nearby trail, this late-summer bloomer is likely why, and it's a native species rather than an invader worth pulling.
American burnweed is a native plant that loves freshly disturbed dirt, think construction sites, garden beds you just turned over, or spots where a tree recently fell. Right now it's having a big moment on iNaturalist, with almost 800 people logging sightings of it in just one week. It's not rare or new, it's just doing what it always does this time of year: shooting up fast and going to seed before fall.
Key Findings
798 research-grade observations of American burnweed (Erechtites hieraciifolius) were logged this week, ranking it among the most-observed plant species on iNaturalist
The species is a native North American annual that specializes in colonizing disturbed soil
High observation volume reflects its characteristic late-summer growth and flowering peak
chevron_right Technical Summary
American burnweed, a fast-growing native wildflower, is showing up in nearly 800 citizen-science observations this week, signaling its typical late-summer surge across disturbed soils and garden edges.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Trending: American burnweed (Erechtites hieraciifolius) — 798 observations this week
American burnweed is among the most observed plant species this week with 798 research-grade observations.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
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Erechtites hieraciifolius is a plant in the daisy family, Asteraceae. It is native to the Americas, but is found many places around the world having been introduced by human activity. such as in Hawaii, China, Europe and Southeast Asia.