Beggar's Ticks (Bidens pilosa)

Family: Asteraceae or Compositae | Edibility: Choice Edible (4/5)

Bidens pilosa is a ANNUAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in). It is in flower from May to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, hover-flies. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Leaves

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer, Spring

Flavor & Culinary Uses

Leaves - raw or cooked. A resinous flavour. Added to salads or steamed and added to soups and stews, they can also be dried for later use.A good source of iodine. A nutritional analysis is available. Young shoot tips are used to make a tea. — Leaves - raw or cooked.; A resinous flavour.; Added to salads or steamed and added to soups and stews, they can also be dried for later use.A good source of iodine.; A nutritional analysis is available.

Habitat & North American Range

Damp lowland fields and wasteland, North and Kermadec Islands. Moist, open neglected places at elevations of 700 - 2000 metres in Nepal. (Zone 8)