Bidens Flowers: A Gardener’s Guide by Ferb Vu
For those seeking vibrant, easy-care flowers, look no further than Bidens. Often called “beggar’s ticks” or “tickseed sunflowers,” these cheerful blooms boast daisy-like flowers in shades of yellow, orange, white, pink, and even red.
Over the years, Bidens have become a favorite among gardeners for their resilience and continuous flowering throughout the summer. But with so many varieties and gardening myths surrounding them, here’s a breakdown to answer all your burning questions about Bidens flowers.
What are Bidens Flowers?
Bidens belong to the Asteraceae family, the same as daisies and sunflowers. There are roughly 230 species within the Bidens genus, found worldwide [Asteraceae family, Wikipedia]. These flowering plants are known for their fern-like foliage and cheerful, daisy-like blooms that resemble miniature sunflowers.
Bidens species
- Bidens acrifolia Sherff
- Bidens acuticaulis Sherff
- Bidens aequisquama (Fernald) Sherff
- Bidens alba (L.) DC.
- Bidens amplectens Sherff
- Bidens amplissima Greene
- Bidens andicola Kunth
- Bidens andongensis Hiern
- Bidens andrei Sherff
- Bidens angustissima Kunth
- Bidens anthemoides Sherff
- Bidens anthriscoides DC.
- Bidens aoraiensis M.L.Grant
- Bidens arenicola Sherff
- Bidens aristosa (Michx.) Britton
- Bidens asperata (Hutch. & Dalziel) Sherff
- Bidens asymmetrica Sherff
- Bidens aurea (Aiton) Sherff
- Bidens balsana Melchert
- Bidens barteri (Oliv. & Hiern) T.G.J.Rayner
- Bidens baumii Sherff
- Bidens beckiana (F.Br.) Sherff
- Bidens beckii Torr. ex Spreng.
- Bidens bicolor Greenm.
- Bidens bidentoides (Nutt.) Britton
- Bidens bigelovii A.Gray
- Bidens bipinnata L.
- Bidens bipontina Sherff
- Bidens biternata (Lour.) Merr. & Sherff
- Bidens blakei (Sherff) Melchert
- Bidens borianiana (Sch.Bip. ex Schweinf.) Cufod.
- Bidens brandegeei Sherff
- Bidens brasiliensis Sherff
- Bidens buchneri Sherff
- Bidens burundiensis M.Tadesse
- Bidens cabopulmensis León de la Luz & B.L.Turner
- Bidens campanulata Bringel & T.B.Cavalc.
- Bidens camporum (Hutch.) Mesfin
- Bidens campylotheca Sch.Bip.
- Bidens carinata Cufod. ex Mesfin
- Bidens cernua L.
- Bidens cervicata Sherff
- Bidens chiapensis Brandegee
- Bidens chippii (M.B.Moss) Mesfin
- Bidens chodatii Hassl.
- Bidens chrysanthemifolia (Kunth) Sherff
- Bidens cinerea Sherff
- Bidens clarendonensis Britton
- Bidens clavata Ballard
- Bidens colimana Melchert
- Bidens conjuncta Sherff
- Bidens connata Muhl. ex Willd.
- Bidens cordifolia Sch.Bip.
- Bidens cordylocarpa (A.Gray) D.J.Crawford
- Bidens cornuta Sherff
- Bidens cosmoides Sherff
- Bidens crocea Welw. ex O.Hoffm.
- Bidens cronquistii (Sherff) Melchert
- Bidens cynapiifolia Kunth
- Bidens × decipiens Warnst.
- Bidens deltoidea J.W.Moore
- Bidens discoidea Britton
- Bidens diversa Sherff
- Bidens domingensis O.E.Schulz
- Bidens eatonii Fernald
- Bidens edentula G.M.Barroso
- Bidens ekmanii O.E.Schulz ex Urb.
- Bidens elgonensis (Sherff) Agnew
- Bidens elliotii Sherff
- Bidens engleri O.E.Schulz
- Bidens esmartinezii Villaseñor
- Bidens evapelliana W.L.Wagner, J.R.Clark & Lorence
- Bidens exigua Sherff
- Bidens fischeri (O.Hoffm.) Sherff
- Bidens fistulosa Sch.Bip. ex Baker
- Bidens flabellata O.Hoffm.
- Bidens flagellaris Baker
- Bidens flagellata (Sherff) Mesfin
- Bidens forbesii Sherff
- Bidens frondosa L.
- Bidens gardneri Baker
- Bidens × garumnae Jeanj. & Debray
- Bidens gentryi Sherff
- Bidens ghedoensis Mesfin
- Bidens glandulifera M.L.Grant
- Bidens goiana B.L.Turner
- Bidens gracillima Sherff
- Bidens grantii Sherff
- Bidens graveolens Mart.
- Bidens gypsophila Miranda
- Bidens hassleriana (Chodat) A.A.Sáenz
- Bidens hawaiensis A.Gray
- Bidens hendersonensis Sherff
- Bidens henryi Sherff
- Bidens herzogii (Sherff) D.J.N.Hind
- Bidens heterodoxa Fernald & H.St.John
- Bidens heterosperma A.Gray
- Bidens hildebrandtii O.Hoffm.
- Bidens hillebrandiana (Drake) O.Deg. ex Sherff
- Bidens hintonii (Sherff) Melchert
- Bidens holstii Sherff
- Bidens holwayi Sherff & S.F.Blake
- Bidens hyperborea Greene
- Bidens insolita Sherff
- Bidens isostigmatoides Sherff
- Bidens kamerunensis Sherff
- Bidens kamtschatica Vassilcz.
- Bidens kilimandscharica (O.Hoffm.) Sherff
- Bidens kirkii Sherff
- Bidens laevis (L.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.
- Bidens lantanoides A.Gray
- Bidens lejolyana Lisowski
- Bidens lemmonii A.Gray
- Bidens leptocephala Sherff
- Bidens leptophylla C.H.An
- Bidens lineariloba Oliv.
- Bidens longistyla C.R.Hart
- Bidens macrocarpa Sherff
- Bidens macroptera (Sch.Bip. ex Chiov.) Mesfin
- Bidens magnifolia Sherff
- Bidens malawiensis Mesfin
- Bidens mandonii (Sherff) Cabrera
- Bidens mannii T.G.J.Rayner
- Bidens mathewsii Sherff
- Bidens mauiensis Sherff
- Bidens maximowicziana Oett.
- Bidens melchertii B.L.Turner
- Bidens menziesii Sherff
- Bidens mesfinii Anderb.
- Bidens mexicana Sherff
- Bidens meyeri V.A.Funk & K.R.Wood
- Bidens micrantha Gaudich.
- Bidens microcephala W.L.Wagner, J.R.Clark & Lorence
- Bidens microphylla Sherff
- Bidens minensis Sherff
- Bidens mitis Sherff
- Bidens mollifolia Sherff
- Bidens molokaiensis Sherff
- Bidens monticola Poepp.
- Bidens mooreensis M.L.Grant
- Bidens moorei Sherff
- Bidens × multiceps Fassett
- Bidens nana M.O.Dillon
- Bidens negriana (Sherff) Cufod.
- Bidens nobilioides Sherff
- Bidens nudata Brandegee
- Bidens oaxacana Melchert
- Bidens oblonga (Sherff) Wild
- Bidens occidentalis (Hutch. & Dalziel) Mesfin
- Bidens ocellata (Greenm.) Melchert
- Bidens ochracea Sherff
- Bidens odora (Sherff) T.G.J.Rayner
- Bidens oerstediana Sherff
- Bidens oligantha Brandegee
- Bidens oligoflora (Klatt) Wild
- Bidens orofenensis M.L.Grant
- Bidens ostruthioides (DC.) Sch.Bip.
- Bidens pachyloma (Oliv. & Hiern) Cufod.
- Bidens paniculata Hook. & Arn.
- Bidens parviflora Willd.
- Bidens pilosa L.
- Bidens pinnatipartita (O.Hoffm.) Wild
- Bidens × polakii Velen.
- Bidens polycephala Sch.Bip.
- Bidens polylepis S.F.Blake
- Bidens populifolia Sherff
- Bidens prestinaria (Sch.Bip. ex Walp.) Cufod.
- Bidens pringlei Greenm.
- Bidens pseudalausensis Sherff
- Bidens pseudocosmos Sherff
- Bidens radiata Thuill.
- Bidens raiateensis J.W.Moore
- Bidens reptans G.Don
- Bidens riedelii Baker
- Bidens riparia Kunth
- Bidens rosemaniana B.L.Turner & Melchert
- Bidens rostrata Melchert
- Bidens rubicundula Sherff
- Bidens rubifolia Kunth
- Bidens rueppellii (Sch.Bip. ex Walp.) Sherff
- Bidens ruyigiensis T.G.J.Rayner
- Bidens saint-johniana Sherff
- Bidens saltillensis Melchert
- Bidens sambucifolia Cav.
- Bidens sandvicensis Less.
- Bidens schaffneri (A.Gray) Sherff
- Bidens schimperi Sch.Bip. ex Walp.
- Bidens segetum Mart. ex Colla
- Bidens serboana B.L.Turner
- Bidens serrulata (Poir.) Desf.
- Bidens setigera (Sch.Bip. ex Walp.) Sherff
- Bidens sharpii (Sherff) Melchert
- Bidens shrevei Britton
- Bidens sierra-leonensis Mesfin
- Bidens simplicifolia C.H.Wright
- Bidens societatis J.W.Moore
- Bidens socorrensis Moran & G.A.Levin
- Bidens somaliensis Sherff
- Bidens steppia Sherff
- Bidens steyermarkii Sherff
- Bidens subalternans DC.
- Bidens subspiralis McVaugh
- Bidens taylorii Sherff
- Bidens tenera O.E.Schulz
- Bidens tenuisecta A.Gray
- Bidens ternata (Chiov.) Sherff
- Bidens tetraspinosa Majeed Kak & Javeid
- Bidens torta Sherff
- Bidens trelawniensis Proctor
- Bidens trichosperma (Michx.) Britton
- Bidens tripartita L.
- Bidens triplinervia Kunth
- Bidens uapensis (F.Br.) Sherff
- Bidens ugandensis (S.Moore) Sherff
- Bidens urceolata De Wild.
- Bidens urophylla Sherff
- Bidens valida Sherff
- Bidens vulgata Greene
- Bidens wailele K.R.Wood & Knope
- Bidens whytei Sherff
- Bidens wichmanii W.L.Wagner, J.R.Clark & Lorence
- Bidens wiebkei Sherff
- Bidens woodii W.L.Wagner, J.R.Clark & Lorence
- Bidens xanti (A.Gray) B.L.Turner
- Bidens xilinensis Y.Z.Zhao & L.Q.Zhao
- Bidens zairensis Lisowski
- Bidens zavattarii Cufod.
Are Bidens Flowers Annuals or Perennials?
Most Bidens varieties are grown as annuals, thriving for a single season and reaching maturity within a few months. However, in warmer climates (zones 8-11), some Bidens varieties can act as short-lived perennials, returning year after year with proper care [Bidens – Wikipedia].
Popular Bidens Varieties
With over 200 species, Bidens offer a diverse range of flower shapes, sizes, and colors. Here are some popular choices for your garden:
- Bidens ferulifolia ‘Golden Nugget’: This compact variety features bright yellow, star-shaped petals with an orange center, perfect for containers and hanging baskets.
- Bidens pilosa: Commonly called “blackjack” or “Spanish needles,” this variety produces a profusion of yellow, daisy-like blooms throughout the summer.
- Bidens alba: This unique variety boasts pure white, daisy-like flowers that add a touch of elegance to any garden.
- Bidens ‘Million Stars’: True to its name, this variety explodes with countless small, golden-yellow flowers that resemble a starry sky.
Bidens vs. Cosmos Flowers
Both Bidens and Cosmos flowers are popular choices for summer gardens, offering long blooming seasons and vibrant colors. Here’s a quick comparison:
- Flower shape: Bidens boast daisy-like flowers with single or double rows of petals. Cosmos flowers have single rows of broad, flat petals, creating a more open and airy look.
- Flower size: Bidens flowers come in a range of sizes, from small and delicate to larger and showier. Cosmos flowers tend to have larger blooms, adding a bolder statement to the garden.
- Foliage: Bidens have finer, fern-like foliage, while Cosmos flowers boast broader, feathery leaves.
- Growth habit: Bidens can be trailing, mounding, or upright depending on the variety. Cosmos flowers typically grow in a bushier, upright form.
How to care for Bidens Flowers?
Bidens are a gardener’s dream, requiring minimal care to thrive. Here’s what you need to know:
- Light: Bidens prefer full sun but can tolerate some light afternoon shade.
- Soil: Plant Bidens in well-drained, fertile soil. Amending your soil with compost before planting is beneficial.
- Watering: Water your Bidens regularly, especially during hot and dry periods. Allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings.
- Fertilizing: Bidens are not heavy feeders. A light application of balanced fertilizer once a month during the growing season is sufficient.
- Deadheading: Regularly deadheading spent flowers will encourage continuous blooming throughout the summer. Simply pinch off the faded blooms at the base of the stem.
Are Bidens Flowers Invasive?
While some Bidens varieties can self-seed readily, they are not typically considered invasive plants. However, it’s always a good practice to deadhead spent flowers before they go to seed to control their spread, especially if you have limited space in your garden.
Bidens Flowers: A Summertime Delight
With their vibrant colors, easy care, and long blooming season, Bidens flowers are a valuable addition to any garden. Whether you choose trailing varieties for hanging baskets or mounding varieties for borders, Bidens will bring a burst of cheer and effortless beauty to your summer landscape.