| Description | Virginia Stickseed (Hackelia virginiana) is a native wildflower producing racemes of small five-petal white flowers. The plant's fruit is densely covered with hooked prickles. These stick to fur and especially clothing when they are brushed against. There is no other way to describe this plant other than nasty. |
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| Plant Type | Annuals, Wild Flowers, Biennials |
| Sunlight | shaded |
| Moisture | average, moist, adaptable |
| Soil & Site | average, adaptable |
| Flowers | White, 1/8 of an inch, with five petals, borne on a raceme. |
| Fruit | Each flower produces a single fruit that hangs downwards on thin pedicels. The fruit consists of four nutlets, and the surface is covered with hooked prickles that readily attach to clothing and animal fur. The fruit starts green and changes to brown. |
| Leaves | In the first year, a rosette of basal leaves forms. The simple leaves are green and have entire margins. |
| Stems | abundant white hairs |
| Roots | taproot |
| Dimensions | 24-48 inches, lanky, lax |
| Misc Facts | The reason this plant has evolved this fruit hitchhiker's ability is for seed dispersal. Seed dispersal by animals is called epizoochory. Since it is a biennial, in the first season, a rosette of basal leaves forms, and then it grows as an upright plant in the second season. |
| Author's Notes | There is no other way to describe this plant than NASTY. Once the fruit gets hooked to your clothing, removing it is a chore. I use cloth gloves when weeding, and they become covered. |
| Notes & Reference | #153-Illinois Wild Flower (www.illinoiswildflowers.info), #191-Minnesota Wild Flowers (www.minnesotawildflowers.info), #274-Site Authors' observations and growing experiences |
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