American burnweed is in the Asteraceae (daisy) family native to the Americas. It prefers man-made or disturbed habitats (roadsides, railway lines, ditches), coastal areas, shores of lakes and rivers, meadows and fields, wetland margins. It is often found in sites associated with beaver activities causing cyclical flooding and drainage and is a common landscape weed. Population explosions may occur in these habitats after human-induced disturbances or other conditions where competition is reduced, but they generally die back as natural succession leads to less open environments. The plant often branches and grows in a clump with multiple stems. This plant grows very quickly up to 8 to 10 feet tall generally on coastal or meadow sites and is resistant to urban conditions. Flower heads of American burnweed are held upright, whereas thickhead flowers droop downward. Plants flower in summer to early fall then die after frost. Seeds are wind-dispersed and can produce multiple generations each growing season. This species benefits from fire and is often one of the earliest pioneer species of areas that have recently burned, hence some of its common names. It prefers moist sites but can handle gravelly soil and some degree of dry conditions. It also grows well in urban areas and around humans. Hand removal of this weed is possible because the roots are fibrous and shallow attached to a short taproot. Hoeing or cultivation also works on small populations. Large populations can be managed with broad-spectrum herbicides but most single-active ingredient herbicides are less effective. This weedy species is not recommended for NC gardens. It is considered a weed in lawns but is considered a beneficial part of the ecosystem elsewhere. Insects, Diseaes, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Shallow Rocky
Soil drainage
Moist | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
High
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Multi-stemmed
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Lobed; Serrate
Leaf value
Fragrant
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Seedlings have elliptic leaves with finely toothed margins; midveins are often tinged red. As plants mature, the toothed leaves clasp to the stem. The basal leaves are large. Crushed leaves can have an unpleasant fragrance. 8" long and 3" inches wide leaves are sparsly hairy on the underside especially along the midrib and veins. Lower leaves are lance shaped as leaves asend up the stems the petoles get smaller until the leaves clasp the stem. Pinnate vein pattern.
Flower color
Cream/Tan; White
Flower form
Head; Panicle
Flower detail
Flowers lack petals but are white or cream-colored budlike and these head flowers are clustered in a panicle at the end of branches.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; White
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit detail
Seeds are in small, dandelion-like globes (small, wispy achenes) and are dispersed by wind.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Brittle stems with a single main stem branching as it flowers upright darker green vertical ridges and round cross section sparsly hairy.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
North and South America
Wildlife value
The flowers are pollinated primarily by wasps including paper wasps, hornets, eumenine wasps, and spider wasps. Other insect visitors include long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, and Tachinid flies. The seeds are wind-dispersed and are used as a minor food source by birds.
Attracts
Pollinators; Predatory Insects
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Achene
Uses (ethnobotany)
Oil from the plant is used to treat a variety of ailments.