Purple cudweed facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Purple cudweed
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Tribe:	Gnaphalieae
Genus:	Gamochaeta
Species:	G. purpurea
Binomial name
Gamochaeta purpurea (L.) Cabrera
Synonyms
Gnaphalium purpureum

Gamochaeta purpurea, also known as the purple cudweed or purple everlasting, is a small plant that grows naturally in North America. It's known for its soft, woolly leaves and tiny flowerheads.

What Does Purple Cudweed Look Like?

This plant is a small, yearly herb, meaning it grows from a seed, flowers, and dies within one year. It has long, narrow leaves that are covered in soft, woolly hairs, making them feel fuzzy. These leaves grow one after another along the stem. The plant also has small, peg-shaped flowerheads that grow in bunches at the top of the plant. When the seeds are ready, the wind carries them away to new places.

Where Does Purple Cudweed Grow?

Purple cudweed can grow in many different types of soil, as long as the soil is a bit damp. However, it likes to grow best in open fields, on rocky ground, and in areas that used to be farmland.

Is Purple Cudweed Protected?

In some parts of the United States, Gamochaeta purpurea is a plant that needs special care.

• In Massachusetts and New York, it is listed as an endangered plant. This means there are very few of them left, and they are at risk of disappearing completely.
• In Maine, it might no longer exist there, which is called being extirpated.
• In Rhode Island, it has only been seen in the past, but not recently.
• In Connecticut, it is a "special concern" species, meaning scientists are worried about its future there, and it is also thought to be extirpated from that state.

How People Use Purple Cudweed

The Houma people, a Native American group, have traditionally used this plant for medicine. They would dry the plant and then make a special tea, called a decoction, from it. They used this tea to help with colds and the flu.

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