Buttonweeds

Left: Purple buttonweed (Spemarcoce oxymoides)
Right: Toothed buttonweed (Spemarcoce exilis)

Tough plants that grow easily in cleared land. Their leaves are arranged in pairs opposite each other. Tiny, white flowers grow in clusters between the pairs of leaves, providing food for pollinators. Toothed buttonweed has green, oval leaves but Purple buttonweed has longer, purplish leaves.

Status: Least concern, Introduced/invasive (Central America)

Habit: Annual herbaceous

Cultivation: Planted by seeds or transplanting

Ecological Function: Attracts pollinators, ground cover

Pollinators:  Large bees, possibly small flies

Soil: Sandy, loam, organic soils

Moisture: Well drained soils

Shade: Partial shade, no shade