A toxic native wildflower is everywhere on iNaturalist this week
iNaturalist Community
Native Plants
If you're hiking shaded woodland edges this fall, you're likely walking past white snakeroot's clusters of fuzzy white blooms, and it's worth knowing this native plant is toxic to livestock and was once blamed for poisoning cow's milk that killed early American settlers including Abraham Lincoln's mother.
White snakeroot is a native woodland wildflower with small white flower clusters that blooms in late summer and fall. This week it became one of the most-photographed and logged plants on iNaturalist in the United States, with 562 observations, though that's down from 682 the week before. The spike likely reflects both its peak bloom timing right now and the fact that it's easy to spot along shaded trails and woodland edges.
Key Findings
562 US observations of white snakeroot logged on iNaturalist in the past 7 days
Down 120 observations (17.6%) from 682 the previous week
Ranked among the most-observed plant species in the US this week, indicating peak seasonal visibility
chevron_right Technical Summary
White snakeroot is having a big moment on iNaturalist, with 562 US sightings logged this week, making it one of the most-observed plants in the country right now, though that's actually a dip from 682 the week before.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Trending: white snakeroot (Ageratina altissima) — 562 observations this week
White snakeroot (Ageratina altissima) is a species in the family Asteraceae. iNaturalist users recorded 562 observations of it in the United States in the 7 days before today, among the most for an...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
Was this useful?
Want to tell us more? (optional)
Thanks for the note!
Something went wrong — please try again.
Too many submissions. Try again in an hour.
Warming killed underground fungi and pushed meadows toward shrublands
Mountain meadows and wildflower-rich grasslands many people hike through and depend on for clean water and biodiversity are quietly transforming underground ...
Photo by Ira Gershenhorn, taken in New York, United States. CC0 via iNaturalist.
Phenology is the study of recurring biological events in plant life cycles—such as flowering, fruiting, and germination—and how these events are timed in response to seasonal and climatic conditions. This research is essential to plant science because phenological patterns directly influence
arrow_forward Explore topic