Jack In The Bush
Chromolaena odorata
- Native to:
- Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Cayman Is., Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guam, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Leeward Is., Mexico, Navassa Island, Nicaragua, Palau, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago, Turks-Caicos Is., United States, Virgin Islands, Windward Is.
iNaturalist: © francisco3_ (iNaturalist #4746567)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Asteraceae
- Genus:
- Chromolaena
- Species:
- Chromolaena odorata
- USDA Symbol:
- CHOD
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Subshrub
- Height:
- 300 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Part Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- jan,feb,mar,apr,dec
- Bloom Colors:
- white, pale purple, lavender
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Gaudy sphinx (Eumorpha labruscae), Rounded Metalmark (Calephelis perditalis)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Moths:Yellow-winged pareuchaetes (Pareuchaetes insulata) Butterflies:American snout butterfly (Libytheana carinenta), Atalopedes Scudder, Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus), Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), Julia butterfly (Dione vanillae), Long-tailed Skipper (Urbanus proteus), ⚠️Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), Ocola Skipper (Panoquina ocola), Queen butterfly (Danaus gilippus), Sickle-winged Skipper (Eantis tamenund), Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe), Southern Dogface (Zerene cesonia)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- butterflies, bees
- Fragrant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously from rootstock after fire; fire does not control this species and may encourage spread.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- well-drained, sandy or loamy soil
- pH:
- 4.5 - 6.5 (acidic to slightly acidic)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- thrives in disturbed areas and open fields
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require light for germination and germinate readily without pretreatment.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI