Beggar's Tick

The B. alba aka Bidens pilosa (BYE-denz AL-bah, pil-OH-suh) also has an edible flower. It’s a tangy if not vigorous addition to salads. Bidens’ young leaves — a few at a time — are suitable for the salad. Shoots, tips and young leaves are good potherbs. It’s dried leaves are also a favored in Hawaii for tea.

Common Beggar's-tick is an annual or short-term perennial with tapered roots that often start at the shallow nodes. When the plant grows, it may either grow erect or bend at the base. The opposing leaves are complex, measuring 1-3 inches in length and about 1-2 inches in width. The leaf edges are serrated and the bottom of the leaf has fine hairs. The flowers appear like a daisy or a sunflower. The flowers on the outside appear like white petals. Flowers that form in the shallow center are quite small and yellowish in color. The seeds are more rectangular, with sharp projections on the top.