Shaggy soldier is a small, fuzzy weed from Mexico that's now common in gardens and farm fields across the US, with tiny daisy-like flower heads only about 1/4 in (5 mm) across. It's hard to keep up with because it can start blooming as soon as 3–4 weeks after sprouting and drops seed a week or two later. It's also called hairy galinsoga.
Appearance
- Growth form
- A many-branched summer annual, usually about 4–20 in (10–50 cm) tall and sometimes taller, with branches growing in pairs.
- Leaves
- Opposite, egg-shaped to triangular leaves with toothed edges and coarse hairs.
- Flowers
- Each tiny head has a yellow center of ringed by usually five white (sometimes pinkish) with three small teeth at the tip.
- Flowering time
- Seedlings come up from early spring until frost, and plants bloom from late spring through fall.
- Fruit
- Small dark about 1/16 in (1–1.5 mm) long, tipped with white scales.
Look-alikes
Gallant soldier is much less hairy, with hairs mostly near the leaf joints and stalks, and its flower heads are smaller (about 1/8 in) with petals that are always white. Hairiness can overlap, so a hand lens on the seed scales is the sure check.
Why they get mixed upBoth are weedy Galinsoga species with nearly identical tiny white-and-yellow flower heads.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Vegetable gardens
- Farm fields
- Roadsides
- Disturbed ground
- Range
- Introduced in the lower 48 states, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, and also in Canada. It's most common in the moist Northeast and northern Midwest and rare in dry regions.
- Preferred conditions
- Prefers damp, rich soil and full sun, and does poorly in shade. Even a light frost kills it.
Life cycle
- Reproduction
- Plants start flowering 24–60 days after sprouting and drop seed 8–14 days later, so it can go through three or four generations a year in the Northeast. A mid-sized plant can make tens of thousands of seeds.
Growing it
- Propagation
- Seeds sprout best in light at the soil surface. Buried seeds stay dormant, which is why tilling brings up new flushes.
Name and classification
- About the name
- It was formerly known as Galinsoga ciliata.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
Culture and stories
- Culture and stories
- In southern Mexico, its leaves, stems, and flowers are cooked in soups.
More species to explore
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