Florida Native Plant Society Blog

Spanish Needle, Bidens Alba Submitted by Donna Bollenbach, Suncoast Chapter Biden's alba , all photos by Donna Bollenbach Nothing attracts more butterflies and bees than a simple white flower called Bidens alba . Also called Romerillo, Beggar’s Tick, Spanish Needle or Monkey’s Lice, this Florida native wildflower is the third most reliable source of nectar for pollinators in our state. There would be many starving bees and butterflies if not for the Bidens family of flowers. More so, Bidens alba and its sister plant, Bidens pilosa , are both edible and have medicinal value. Yet, many gardeners have a love/hate relationship the plant, and some even consider it a pesky weed. Why?

In Florida if given a chance, Bidens alba will completely take over a disturbed area, but this doesn't mean that it's invasive.  A polka-dotted wasp moth sipping nectar from a bidens floret. For more information see An Exception to the Rules Native plants are NOT invasive.  They belong here and work well within the natural ecosystems. A pioneer plant like beggars' ticks ( Bidens alba ) is certainly aggressive and efficient at completely covering a disturbed site, but after a couple of years, it will give way to other plants in Mother Nature's succession parade, which  depends upon where it's found. The plants that take over could include broom sedge ( Andropogon spp.), goldenrod ( Solidago spp.), dog fennel ( Eupatorium capillifolium ), which then my be replaced by pines and oaks after a few years. Definition: - An invasive exotic plant is a naturalized exotic plant that is expanding its range into natural areas and disrupting naturally occur...