About Hackelia virginiana (L.) I.M.Johnst.
Hackelia virginiana (L.) I.M.Johnst. has simple, rough, dark green, irregularly shaped leaves and ribbed green stems. It is classified as having a Wetland Indicator Status of FACU (Facultative Upland). Its small white flowers bloom from mid to late summer. Its seeds are sticky burs. This native plant is a well-known nuisance in deciduous forests of the eastern United States, because its tiny, abundant seeds are very difficult to remove from clothing, and especially from pet fur. The upper seeding portion of the stem dies earlier than most other plant parts and becomes very brittle. If seeds catch on clothing or animal fur, the entire seed stem, or even the whole plant, often pulls free from the ground, which helps the plant disperse its seeds. In the first year of growth, Hackelia virginiana only produces a basal rosette of foliage; it grows an upward-pointing flowering stalk in its second year. This species is native to Eastern Canada and all of the Midwestern and Eastern United States.
