Romerillo
Bidens alba
Also known as: Crowned Beggarticks
- Native to:
- Belize, Bolivia, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guam, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Leeward Is., Mexico, Navassa Island, Netherlands Antilles, Palau, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Trinidad-Tobago, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, United States
Forest & Kim Starr (www.hear.org)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Asteraceae
- Genus:
- Bidens
- Species:
- Bidens alba
- USDA Symbol:
- BIAL
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Annual | Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 150 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- jan,feb,mar,apr,may,jun,jul,aug,sep,oct,nov,dec
- Bloom Colors:
- white, yellow
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:
- ★★★☆☆ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Goldenrod Stowaway (Cirrhophanus triangulifer)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: American bumble (Bombus pensylvanicus), Common eastern (Bombus impatiens), Eastern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica), Two-spotted bumble (Bombus bimaculatus), Two-spotted Longhorn (Melissodes bimaculatus), ⚠️Western honey bee (Apis mellifera), Xylocopa micans Hummingbirds: Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) Moths:coffee-loving pyrausta moth (Pyrausta tyralis), Orange-spotted flower moth (Syngamia florella) Butterflies:⚠️Atala butterfly (Eumaeus atala), Barred Yellow (Eurema daira), Broad-winged Skipper (Poanes viator), Byssus Skipper (Problema byssus), Cassius Blue (Leptotes cassius), Cecropterus dorantes, Ceraunus Blue (Hemiargus ceraunus), Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius), Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae), Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia), Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole), Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris), Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus), Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis), Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), Great Southern White (Ascia monuste), Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius), Little Yellow (Pyrisitia lisa), Little Yellow (Eurema lisa), Long-tailed Skipper (Urbanus proteus), Ocola Skipper (Panoquina ocola), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Palamedes Swallowtail (Pterourus palamedes), Palmetto Skipper (Euphyes arpa), Phaon Crescent (Phyciodes phaon), Phocides batabano, Queen butterfly (Danaus gilippus), Sleepy Orange (Abaeis nicippe), Southern Broken-Dash (Polites otho), Tropical Checkered-skipper (Burnsius oileus), Twin-spot Skipper (Oligoria maculata), Viceroy (Limenitis archippus), Whirlabout (Polites vibex), White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae), Zebra Longwing (Heliconius charithonia)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, butterflies, birds
- Salt Tolerant:
- Yes
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- well-drained, sandy or loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- thrives in disturbed areas and roadsides
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate readily with light and warmth. Direct sowing after frost or indoor starting works well.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI