Purple composites

Top (Left to right): Siam weed (Chromolaena odorata) & Goat weed, (Ageratum conyzoides)

Bottom (Left to right): Cupid’s shaving brush (Emilia sonchifolia) & Tropical fleabane (Cyanthillium cinereum)

Plants with small, fluffy purple or white flowers. They can be found almost anywhere, favoured by beekeepers for the pollen and nectar they produce. They are grown to prevent lalang growth but they can crowd out native plants. They are poisonous to vertebrates.

Status: Least concern, invasive

Habit: Herbaceous

Cultivation: Planted by seeds or transplanting

Ecological Function: Attracts pollinators, ground cover

Pollinators:  Large bees, small bees, butterflies, flies, wasps

Soil: Sandy, loam, organic soils

Moisture: Well drained soils

Shade: Partial shade, no shade