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Bidens alba (L.)DC. var. radiata (Sch.Bip.) R.E.Ballard
Beggarticks
Romerillo
Spanish Needles
Florida native
A common wildflower of disturbed sites in nearly all of Florida. The range of Bidens alba extends through the southeastern coastal states from North Carolina into Alabama plus Louisiana. Also found in a few other scattered locations from New Mexico to Connecticut.
An herbaceous wildflower with squarish stems growing up to 1m ( 3 ft.) tall. Leaves opposite and usually pinnately divided with lanceolate to ovate toothed leaflets. Flowers have white ray petals, often missing and yellow disks. The fruit is a thin achene usually with two barbs (Spanish needle) that sticks readily to fur and clothing (beggartick).
Pollinators of many kinds utilize Bidens alba as a food source and it is the host plant for the dainty sulphur - Nathalis iole - butterfly.
Bidens alba is a member of the Asteraceae - Aster family.
Other species of the Bidens genus in the Wild Florida Photo database:
Bidens laevis - BURRMARIGOLD
Bidens mitis - SMALLFRUIT BEGGARTICKS
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (Institute for Systemic Botany) profile for this species
iNaturalist profile for this species
USDA Plant Profile for this species
Date record last modified: Oct 01, 2025
