Practical
Plants

Bidens bipinnata

Spanish Needles

an annual member of the Bidens genus in the family Compositae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Bidens
Life cycle
annual
Height
1 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Leaves and young shoots - cooked or used as a flavouring[1][3]. Used as a vegetable[4]. A tea is made from the flowering tops[3].

Product or use
Condiment
Product or use
Tea
Plant part
Leaves

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The root and seeds are popularly used as an emmenagogue and in the treatment of laryngeal and bronchial diseases[3]. A tea made from the leaves is vermifuge[5]. The leaves have been chewed as a treatment for sore throat[5]. The plant juice is styptic and has been used as ear drops[5]. An extract of the plant has bactericidal properties[4].

Product or use
Antibacterial
Product or use
Emmenagogue
Product or use
Styptic
Product or use
Vermifuge

Environment

Range
E. Asia. Eastern N. America.
Habitat
Rocky woods, roadsides and waste places, often in sandy soils, Florida to Mexico, north to Massachusetts and New York[6].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow mid to late spring in situ and only just cover the seed.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in any moderately fertile moisture-retentive soil in full sun[2]. A good bee plant[2].

References

  1. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

  2. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  3. Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6

    ↩1↩2↩3

  4. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩1↩2

  5. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

    ↩

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