Bidens

( BYE - denz )

At-A-Glance Information

These plants, which grow in climates around the world, have many common names, including: Beggarticks, Black Jack, Burr Marigolds,  Cobbler's Pegs, Spanish Needles, Stickseeds, Tickseeds, and Tickseed Sunflowers. The seed pods produced by these plants are bristly and barbed, easily sticking to the clothes and fur of passers-by for easy transportation away from the parent plant. Typically, these plants are prolific bloomers and can produce white, yellow, or pink flowers. These are smaller plants, reaching about 6-12 inches tall and wide at maturity. Use Bidens to border flower beds or in mixed plantings. These flowers also do well in pots and as accent pops of color throughout the garden.

Bidens Species and Varietals

The genus Bidens includes 230 species and is a member of the plant family Asteraceae. The genus name is derived from the Latin words 'bis' (meaning two) and 'dens' (meaning teeth), referring to the barbed fruits the plants produce. Bidens grows well in zones 16-24 as a perennial, and can be grown in any zone as an annual. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Bidens alba (Butterfly Needles, Spanish Needles, Beggarticks, Shepherd's Needles)
This short-lived perennial to annual species of Bidens is native to tropical and subtropical regions in North America, Asia, South America, and Africa. The leaves of this species are edible, and are consumed in their native range, where it is used as a medicinal remedy. These plants form taproots under the soil and tufts of green foliage above. Flowers are white to cream to yellow, and are a great nectar source for local pollinators.

Bidens amplectans (Wai'anae koko'olau)
This endangered species of Bidens grows naturally in coastal and lowland dry habitats on the island of O'ahu, where they are threatened by wildfire and habitat loss. Stems on these plants can reach between 5 and 10 feet tall, and are topped with yellow flowers that bloom in spring through fall. These are short-lived perennials or annuals.

Bidens amplissima (Vancouver Island Beggarticks)
This annual wetland species is native to British Colombia and the state of Washington in the United States. These plants reach about 4 feet tall at maturity and roots are fibrous. Stems are typically dark red to purple, though they are also seen in shades of green. Flowers are yellow and foliage is green.

​Bidens aristosa (Bearded Beggarticks, Western Tickseed, Showy Tickseed, Log-Bracted Beggarticks, Tickseed Beggarticks, Swamp Marigold, Yankee Lice)
Native to the central United States, this species of Bidens is an annual, and reaches up to 5 feet tall. These plants are great at attracting bees in their native range, and have yellow flowers.

Bidens aurea (Arizona Beggarticks)
This species is found in Mexico, Arizona, and Guatemala, and has naturalized in Europe and South America. These annual herbaceous plants reach a bit over 8 feet tall in just one growing season, and produce yellow flowers with white tips on each petal. Flowers are also seen in various shades of cream and yellow, sometimes with striping or blushing of colors.

Bidens beckii (Beck's Water Marigold, Water Marigold)
Native to Canada and northern areas of the United States, this species is a perennial herb that reaches six and a half feet tall when mature. These plants emerge from stagnant or slow-moving water; leaves above the water line are simple and lanceolate, but leaves on the stem underneath the water's surface are very intricately divided.

Bidens bigelovii (Bigelow's Beggarticks)
These plants are native to the southwestern and south-central areas of the United States and Mexico. This species reaches a little under three feet tall at maturity, and produces white flowers with yellow centers in spring and summertime. These plants prefer wetland environments.

Bidens bipinnata (Spanish Needles)
Reaching up to 60 inches tall in just one growing season, this species produces white or yellow flower heads in spring and summertime. These plants are native to Asia and North America, despite their common name 'Spanish Needles', which actually just refers to the appearance of the long, thin seeds produced by these plants.

Bidens cernua (Nodding Beggarticks, Nodding Bur-Marigold)
This species of Beggarticks is native to Eurasia and North America, and produces a 3 foot tall plant from fibrous roots. Flowers are typically yellow, and leaves are green, simple and opposite. 

Bidens connata (Purplestem Beggarticks, London Bur-Marigold)
This species is widespread in its distribution across Eurasia, Northern Africa, North America, Australia, and on certain Pacific Islands. These annual herbaceous plants reach 80 inches tall in a single growing season, and produce yellow flowers in spring and summertime. They prefer to grow in marshes and other wet sites, and have purplish stems.

Bidens cosmoides (Cosmosflower Beggarticks, Po'ola Nui)
This species is endemic to mixed forests on the island of Kauai'i in Hawai'i. Flowers produced are gorgeous and yellow, often drooping from branches. These plants are critically endangered with extinction, and is threatened by habitat loss due to invasive weeds and brushfires in its native range, and also by the drop in its main pollinator's (the Hawaiian Honeycreeper) population.

Bidens ferulifolia (Apache Beggarticks, Fern-Leaved Beggarticks)
This species is native to Mexico, and produces unique ferny foliage. Flowers are yellow, and bloom in spring and summertime. These plants generally reach up to 18 inches tall, flower profusely, and are great for beds and borders in cottage gardens, rock gardens, or Mediterranean gardens. When grown in containers, stems will cascade over sides. Varieties include 'Blazing Star' (with orange streaks), 'Beedance Painted Red' (with salmon-tipped rays), 'Taka Tuka Red Glow' (with red and orange-flushed petals), and 'Marietta Gold Spark' (a low-grower with yellow flowers).

Bidens frondosa (Devil's Beggarticks, Devil's-Pitchfork, Devil's Bootjack, Sticktights, Bur Marigold, Pitchfork Weed, Tickseed Sunflower, Leafy Beggarticks, Common Beggar-Ticks)
These plants prefer plenty of moisture and sunlight, and are native to the Americas. These are annual plants, reaching between 8 and 24 inches tall and producing golden to orange flowers in spring and summertime.

Bidens mauiensis (Maui Beggarticks, Ko 'oko 'olau)
This species is native to the island of Maui in Hawai'i where it grows on coastal bluffs and amongst sand dunes. This perennial species reaches about a foot tall at maturity and produces succulent foliage and orange to yellow flowers in spring and summer. 

Bidens nudata (Cape Beggars Tick, Baja Tickseed)
This species is endemic to Baja California Sur in Mexico, and has a mounding habit, producing yellow flowers in November. These plants are drought-tolerant choices for water-wise gardens, and have gained popularity in recent years due to this quality. They are great, colorful additions to gardens, reaching about 35 inches tall at maturity. Can tolerate a wide range of soils as well as be situated either in full sun or partial shade.

Bidens pilosa (Cobblers Pegs, Hitch Hikers, Black-Jack, Beggarticks, Farmer's Friends, Spanish Needle)
These plants are native to the Americas, and have naturalized in many places around the world. They reach about 5-6 feet tall at maturity and produce white flowers throughout the year, blooming most profusely in summer and fall. These plants are commonly considered to be weeds, but also have useful medicinal properties.

Caring for Bidens

Propagation

Problems and Pests

Gallery

Camellias are great candidates to be grown as container plants on your patio.
A field of thea sinensis
Camellia hiemalis 'Shishi Gashira'

Videos

A video all about growing camellias successfully
Propagating camellias

Resources

The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 196, Bidens ferulifolia
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