Stats

Lifespan: Perennial
Size: Medium
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Temperate woodland
Range: North America
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Toxins
Status: Common

About

A tall North American wildflower topped with clusters of small white blooms, named for the delicate ribbons of ice it extrudes from cracked stems on the first hard frosts of the year. Its winged stems and coarse, hairy leaves make it a favorite late-season nectar source for migrating butterflies.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Verbesina
Species: Verbesina virginica