Pronounced (approximate): BY-denz vul-GAH-tah
A native annual with a crowded ring of leafy bracts surrounding small yellow-green flower heads.
Big Devil’s Beggarticks (Bidens vulgata): flower heads and leafy outer bracts. Tap the photo to open the gallery.
Family Asteraceae
Life cycle Annual
Blooms August–October
Height 6 to 70 inches
Habitat Moist woodland edges, open woods, ditches and disturbed ground
Common names: Big Devil’s Beggarticks · Tall Beggarticks · Common Beggarticks
Bloom timing varies with latitude, weather and local conditions.
Explore reported observations. Sightings are not a complete range map.
Moist woodland edges, open woods, ditches and disturbed ground. Flowering season: August–October.
Compare with Devil’s Beggarticks (Bidens frondosa), which generally has fewer outer bracts and collapsing disk florets. Bract counts overlap; use several heads and the flower details together.
Flower heads usually have 10–21 leafy outer bracts, with conspicuous hairs along their margins.
Opposite leaves are divided into three or five toothed leaflets.
Aging disk florets remain relatively firm and tubular; short yellow rays may be present or absent. Pair close views with a photograph of the whole plant.
5 field photographs. Select a photograph to enlarge it; use Load more photos to see the rest.
Native to Canada and the United States.
Reported U.S. distribution
AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Includes native and introduced state records where listed; a state record does not imply occurrence in every county.
Observation maps show submitted records, not every place the plant occurs. Follow local access rules when visiting a site.
Practice recognizing Big Devil’s Beggarticks in the flower quiz, or compare it with other plants in the guide.
Field photographs: Where’s Wildlife.