Large Buttonweed Diodia virginiana
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Diodia hirsuta
- Diodia tetragona
- Diodia virginiana f. hirsuta
- Diodia virginiana var. attenuata
- Phonetic Spelling
- dy-OH-dee-uh vir-jin-ee-AN-uh
- Description
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Virginia buttonweed, is a native, warm-season, mat-forming, herbaceous perennial, broadleaf weed with a spreading, prostrate habit and small white star-shaped flowers. It can be found in swamps, wet meadows, marshes, coastal prairies, and in the mud along streams and ponds. It is considered a weed and can be troublesome in lawns and other disturbed areas of the South; however, it is listed as rare farther north in New Jersey and Indiana. This plant is quite widespread in North Carolina, but typically not found in the northern mountains. It is a member of the madder or coffee family (Rubiaceae). The genus name, Diodia, is from the Greek words: diodos, meaning "thoroughfare." This references this plant's natural habitat. The specific epithet, virginiana, is Latin, meaning "of Virginia."
This weed adapts well to a range of soil types, but prefers moist to wet soil and thrives in full to partial sun. Propagated by seeds, it may also spread through stem fragments.
Virginia buttonweed forms a dense mat near the ground and has deep roots and rhizomes. Its leaves are simple, green, oppositely arranged, lanceolate, sessile with sheathing stipules. The flowers are small, white, tubular, 4-lobed, and bloom during the summer and fall. Its fruit is a small, oval nutlet.
Bees are attracted to this plant. As the Virginia buttonweed decomposes, it serves as a food source for aquatic life. This plant is not recommended for the home landscape due to its spreading nature and its tendency to crowd out other plants. It is also the host of the flea beetle, which can also damage your lawn and garden.
Maintaining a healthy lawn will help prevent or reduce the presence of this weed. In some cases, an herbicide application may be necessary for weed control. Weed management should start in early spring as the plant begins to emerge.
Diseases, Insects, and Other Plant Problems: Control of Virginia buttonweed can be difficult in an established lawn. Its extensive root system and ease of reproduction can make it hard to eradicate.
- See this plant in the following landscape :
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Diodia
- Species:
- virginiana
- Family:
- Rubiaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Central and Eastern United States to Central Mexico and Cuba
- Distribution:
- Native: United States--AL, AR, CT, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV; Cuba, Mexico Central, Mexico Northeast. Introduced: China Southeast, Costa Rica, Japan, Korea, Mexico Southeast, Nicaragua, and Taiwan.
- Wildlife Value:
- Preferred host plant for some beetle species. Submerged portions provide habitats for many micro and macro invertebrates that are used as food by fish and other wildlife species (e.g. amphibians, reptiles, ducks, etc.). As dead aquatic plants decompose, it provides food (called “detritus”) for many aquatic invertebrates.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Native Plant
- Perennial
- Weed
- Habit/Form:
- Ascending
- Erect
- Prostrate
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- High
- Texture:
- 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
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Soil Drainage:
- Moist
- Occasionally Wet
- Available Space To Plant:
- Less than 12 inches
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Green
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- The hairy, green fruit is an oval to an elliptic, leathery capsule or nutlet containing two seeds. It will split open at maturity to release its seeds.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Head
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Long Bloom Season
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Tubular
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- The flowers are white, tubular with 4 spreading lobes, measuring half an inch across. Occasionally, the flower may have pink streaks at the center. The blooms may be singular or appear in pairs. Each flower has four stamens and a flat, branched style. The blooms appear in the leaf axils along the stem from June to November.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- The leaves are slightly thick, simple, lanceolate, sessile, opposite, with sheathing stipules. The leaves measure 1.25 to 2.5 inches long and up to 1 inch wide. The upper surface is green, the lower surface is a lighter green. The surface is smooth, and the margins are entire. Leaves are joined across the stem by a hairy tissue, known as stipules. They sometimes are mottled yellow due to a virus.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Square
- Stem Form:
- Straight
- Stem Leaf Scar Shape:
- Round
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- The stems are reddish or green, square, or multi-angled. The edges of the stems may be smooth or longitudinally ridged with hairs. The stems can branch out up to 2 feet from their woody root, and it can root at the nodes.
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Landscape:
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Poor Soil
- Wet Soil
- Problems:
- Weedy
