Practical
Plants

Bidens frondosa

Beggar Ticks

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

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Bidens
Life cycle
annual
Height
1.5 m
Fertility
Bees, Hover-flies
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Hover-flies

Uses

Edible uses

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

Young leaves and stems - cooked[1][2].

Plant part
Leaves

Environment

Range
N. America - Nova Scotia to British Columbia, south to Florida and California.
Habitat
Damp ground in waste places in California[5].
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 early spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in May. Alternatively, a sowing in situ in mid to late spring can be tried.

Cultivation

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

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will succeed outdoors in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed in most parts of the country when grown as a spring-sown annual. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in any moderately fertile moisture-retentive soil in full sun[3].

References

  1. Crowe. A. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-340-508302

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

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

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  4. Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22642-5

  5. Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959-00-00

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