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Canadian Clearweed

Pilea pumila

Found in swamp forests, bottomlands, freshwater marshes, tidal marshes, disturbed wet ground. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

21
Good

Native to Florida. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 82%

Height
4–20 inches
Light
Dappled sunlight, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Usually moist
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Annual
Fruiting season
September to November

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves · Bloom

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

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 14 Florida counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement.

1 of 2

Swamps

Loblolly bay in a coastal swamp
Regional / representative. Shown: Southern coastal swamps, Florida to Virginia; state not identified, a neighboring state.Loblolly bay in a coastal swamp, Marian Ellis Rowan, 1901. Public domain. Source record.

Freshwater marshes

Georgia pond and emergent wetland
Regional / representative. Shown: Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Georgia; representative pond ecosystem, a neighboring state.Georgia pond and emergent wetland, Robert 'Bob' Hynes, 1997. Public domain. Source record.
Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

3CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL

Genus host records with ranges including FL · Pilea

  • Cosmopterix pulchrimellaBeautiful Cosmopterix Moth, Chamber's Cosmopterix
  • Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
0BeesSoutheastern regional records
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Urticaceae
Hardiness
Zones 3a–10b
Soil pH
Acidic to alkaline
Flower color
Yellow, green or white
Fruit begins
September
Fruit ends
November

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

Growing sources and scope
  • Flower color · “Yellow, green or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
  • Fruit begins · “September” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Fruit ends · “November” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Hardiness · “Zones 3a–10b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Height · “4–20 inches” · Minnesota Wildflowers
  • Life cycle · “Annual” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Light · “Dappled sunlight (shade through upper canopy all day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
  • Soil · “Moist; Occasionally wet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
  • Soil pH · “Acidic to alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Also known as

Clearweed

Conservation status

Florida rankS4?
Global rankG5
FL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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How to check your spot

Sources