Virginia Copperleaf Acalypha virginica
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- ak-uh-LY-fuh vir-JIN-ih-kuh
- Description
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Virginia Copperleaf is a summer annual weed in the spurge family but lacks the milky sap many spurges have. It is found in disturbed areas, meadows, fields, shores of rivers or lakes and woodlands. Although it is considered weedy it isn't invasive. The taproot is fairly easy to pull up if it turns up in your garden. Birds will eat the seeds and deer browse the leaves.
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Acalypha
- Species:
- virginica
- Family:
- Euphorbiaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Central and Eastern U.S.A.
- Distribution:
- USA: AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WV Canada: ON
- Wildlife Value:
- Birds eat the seeds and deer browse the leaves.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Annual
- Native Plant
- Weed
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
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Fruit:
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Description:
- 3-celled seed capsule with each cell of the capsule containing a single ovoid-oblongoid seed
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Flowers:
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Insignificant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Description:
- Male and female flowers on the same plant. Both grow from the bracts in the leaf axil. Bracts are green, hairy, and palmately lobed (10-15 lobes) with ciliate along their margins. Within each bract, a spike of staminate flowers develops. Spike is 3/4 inch long and individual flowers are less than 1/8 inch. 1-3 sessile pistillate flowers also form within the bract and are largely hidden from view. Each pistillate flower is about ΒΌ" across. Pollinated by the wind.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Leaf Margin:
- Crenate
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are medium green and up to 3 inches long and 1 inch across. They are lanceolate and crenate with widely spaced blunt teeth to nearly smooth. The upper surfaces are sparsely canescent, sparsely covered with appressed hairs, or hairless. They grow closer together at the top of the stem giving it a flat-topped look.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Form:
- Straight
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- The mostly unbranched stems are light to medium green, terete, and moderately covered with hairs
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Landscape:
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Drought
