States
North CarolinaTennesseeGeorgiaSouth CarolinaKentuckyAlabamaFloridaVirginia
Menu

Chamber-bitter

Emblica urinaria

Found in gardens, roadsides, and other disturbed ground, apparently preferring nitrogen-rich or fertilized soils. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

-30
Harmful

Not native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 41%

Light
Full sun
Soil moisture
Dry to wet

Do not plant. Listed invasive in Alabama.

At a glance

Life cycle
Annual

Not yet recorded · Height · Spread · Leaves · Bloom

Bloom: recorded only in the FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team) phone app (app page).

Height, spread and leaves: no source found yet.

This plant is missing most of its facts, so Quercus is looking them up in old botany books.

Recorded in 35 Alabama counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

3CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Phyllanthus

  • Diphthera festivaHieroglyphic Moth
  • Melanochroia chephiseWhite-Tipped Black Moth, Snowbush Spanworm
  • Cacotherapia unipuncta
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Phyllanthaceae
Hardiness
Zones 7a–10b
Flower color
Yellow, green or white

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Chamber bitter; Phyllanthus urinaria; leaf flower; leaf-flower

Conservation status

Alabama rankSNA
Global rankGNR
AL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Native alternatives

Find natives for your garden

Sources