Plant Family

Asteraceae

81 plants in database

Dynamic accumulator powerhouse. Deep taproots on dandelion, chicory, and elecampane mine calcium, potassium, and iron from subsoil that shallow-rooted plants cannot reach — chop and drop as living fertilizer. Composite flower heads are the most efficient landing structure for parasitoid wasps and hoverflies; a single bolted plant provides weeks of pest management support. Plant in guild edges and disturbed areas. Yarrow specifically accumulates copper, a micronutrient most soils lack.