Stats

Lifespan: Perennial
Size: Small
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Freshwater wetland
Range: North America
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Camouflage
Status: Uncommon

About

This aquatic herb grows in dense colonies along the edges of North American streams. Its roots form complex underwater webs that can survive freezing temperatures in zone 4.

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

View on iNaturalist →

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Lamiales
Family: Acanthaceae
Genus: Justicia
Species: Justicia americana