Spanish Needles
Bidens bipinnata
- Native to:
- United States
Britton, N.L., and A. Brown.
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Asteraceae
- Genus:
- Bidens
- Species:
- Bidens bipinnata
- USDA Symbol:
- BIBI7
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 150 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- jul,aug,sep,oct
- Bloom Colors:
- yellow
Wildlife Benefits
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
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), Mobile Groundling Moth (Condica mobilis), Virginia Tiger Moth (Spilosoma virginica)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: ⚠️Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) Butterflies:Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae), Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia), Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus), Gulf Fritillary (Dione vanillae), Little Yellow (Pyrisitia lisa), Long-tailed Skipper (Urbanus proteus), ⚠️Monarch (Danaus plexippus), Ocola Skipper (Panoquina ocola), Tropical Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus oileus), White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae), Zebra Longwing (Heliconius charithonia)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- commonly found in disturbed areas
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate readily when soil temperatures warm in spring. Light may enhance germination.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI