Habitat: Artillery weed occurs primarily in moist, disturbed areas but can tolerate dry conditions once established. In landscapes, artillery weed is typically found growing in rock mulch beds, in cracks in driveways and hardscapes, and in planting beds. In nurseries, it can be problematic in containers, container drain holes, ground cloth (Figure 1), walkways, aisles, and in greenhouses. It prefers a partially shaded environment but can grow in full sun.
Distribution: Artillery weed is thought to be native to South America, but some authors claim it is native to parts of North America (USDA 2016). It is found throughout Florida, but is most problematic in the central and southern parts of the state. It has also become widely naturalized in subtropical and tropical areas in many parts of the world.
Growth Habit: It is a low-growing succulent herb that can spread 1 to 2 feet in width and grows 0.5 to 1.5 feet in height.
Seedling: Cotyledons are green with opposite, obcordate (they start at a point and then widen until they form a notch at the apex) leaves with smooth margins (Figure 2). First true leaves are green. Stems are whitish in color.
Shoots: Stems are fragile, green, nearly translucent, succulent, and spreading (Figure 3). Plants have opposite to subopposite simple, obovate leaves with short petioles and with most but not all leaves having three primary veins originating from the leaf base. Leaves are evergreen and are 3.64–1.13 mm wide and 8.25–1.14 mm long.
Inflorescence: dense cyme (a group of flowers where the growing points end in a flower), branched clusters from leaf axils
Flowers: small, whitish to greenish, unisexual; sepals 4 mm in male flowers, 3 mm in female; no petals; 4 stamens; year round flowering occurs (Figure 4).
Similar Species: Pilea pumila (Canadian clearweed) is a similar species to Pilea microphylla. The distinguishing character of Pilea pumila is that it has broad, ovate to elliptic leaves, that grow to 4 in. long and 2.5 in. wide, and leaf margins are toothed (serrated). Artillery weed has small smooth-edged leaves, usually less than 8.25 mm long and 3.64 mm wide.
Plant Biology: Year-round flowering occurs, and the pollen grains are ejected forcefully (hence the common name artillery weed). Artillery weed grows primarily in shaded areas and can tolerate extended flooding, alkalinity, clay, sand, and acidic loam (Gilman 1999). This plant shows moderate drought tolerance and poor tolerance in soils with high salinity (Gilman 1999).
The Many Uses and Benefits of the Artillery Plant
The artillery plant known by its scientific name Pilea microphylla is a popular and visually striking houseplant. Originally native to tropical regions of Central and South America, the artillery plant is now grown worldwide for its ornamental qualities and ease of care as an indoor plant. But what exactly is this unique plant used for and what makes it such a commonly grown houseplant? In this article, we will explore the varied uses and benefits that make the artillery plant a go-to choice for many plant parents and indoor gardeners.
Background on the Artillery Plant
The artillery plant is named for the unique way it disperses its pollen. The small flowers produce dust-like seeds that can explode and shoot outward up to several feet away from the parent plant. This explosive seed dispersal resembles artillery fire, hence the common name.
The leaves of Pilea microphylla are small, round and plentiful. They grow in pairs along trailing cascading stems that can reach 12-18 inches long. When allowed to trail from a hanging basket or shelf, the artillery plant takes on a whimsical, weeping appearance. The lush leaves come in green, grey-green, and variegated varieties.
Beyond its peculiar pollen-popping seeds the artillery plant offers many desirable attributes that make it a functionally versatile and visually pleasing plant for indoor spaces.
Key Uses of the Artillery Plant
Ornamental Plant
The artillery plant’s cascading habit makes it perfectly suited for use as an ornamental houseplant. It brings beauty, visual interest, and a touch of the tropics to indoor spaces. The petite leaves add texture and dimension without overwhelming small areas. Use the artillery plant in any room needing a burst of vibrancy and natural décor.
Terrariums
The compact, trailing nature of the artillery plant also lends itself nicely for use in closed terrariums. Plant cuttings or small starter plants in a glass terrarium to create a lush miniature world. The high humidity and moist environment of a terrarium perfectly mimics the artillery plant’s native habitat.
Hanging Baskets
Letting the slender stems of the artillery plant drape over the sides of a hanging basket allows you to easily showcase its flowing, weeping habit. The movement and greenery create an enticing focal point and bring life to otherwise static spaces. Hang artillery plants near windows, in entryways, above cabinets or anywhere needing a touch of the outdoors brought indoors.
Tabletop and Shelving
The artillery plant’s vine-like stems also make it ideal for placement on tabletops, shelves, credenzas, sideboards and more. Let the stems trail down for a beautiful cascading effect. The pop of green against wood, metal, concrete or other surfaces in an industrial, modern or minimalist space adds organic contrast.
Desk Plant
The compact size and lush leaves of Pilea microphylla make it an excellent desk plant. Place a starter plant or cutting in a petite pot to add color and freshness to an office, workspace or study area. As a relatively low maintenance plant, it can thrive with just moderate care.
Air Purifying
Like many houseplants, the artillery plant helps purify indoor air by absorbing toxins and releasing oxygen. Its many leaves and quick growth equip it to filter more air compared to slower growing plants. Place artillery plants in rooms where you spend a lot of time, such as bedrooms, offices and family spaces.
Ground Cover Outdoors
In tropical climates with mild winters, the artillery plant can also be used as an attractive ground cover plant. Its creeping stems spread readily to form a vibrant living carpet in garden beds and shady spots. The easy-care nature of artillery plants makes them ideal for novice gardeners.
Benefits of the Artillery Plant
In addition to its functional uses, the artillery plant also provides some excellent benefits that add to its versatility and popularity.
Easy Care
The artillery plant is simple to maintain and care for, especially compared to other houseplant varieties. It adapts readily to various indoor conditions. Artillary plants thrive in moderate light, regular room temperatures, and do not need frequent watering or feeding. These factors make it ideal for beginner plant parents.
Low Light Tolerance
Many indoor plants require bright, direct light to survive. The artillery plant is more flexible and can tolerate lower light conditions. Place artillery plants in corners, away from windows or other spots that may have less than ideal light. Their ability to grow in filtered light increases placement options.
Hardy Nature
Artillery plants have a hardy, resilient nature allowing them to bounce back from occasional neglect. Their tolerance for inconsistent watering and moderate humidity levels means they thrive even in imperfect conditions and are great for busy households.
Pet Friendly
The artillery plant is considered non-toxic to humans, dogs and cats, according to the ASPCA. This makes it a safe choice of houseplant for homes with curious pets. It can be kept without fear of pets or children suffering ill effects if leaves or stems are ingested.
Air Purifying
In addition to being visually appealing, the many leaves of the artillery plant work hard to purify the air. Acting like natural air filters, artillery plants remove toxins like formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene from the surrounding environment leaving cleaner, fresher air.
Low Cost
Artillery plants are very affordable to purchase as young starter plants or cuttings. With proper care they grow quickly, allowing you to achieve a full lush plant with trailing vines for a modest investment. Propagating from stem cuttings is also easy and free!
Cultural and Physical Control
Cultural control involves proper sanitation practices, such as using weed-free growing media and clean pots. Inspect plant material for artillery weed seedlings when bringing in new plant material into the nursery or landscape. In landscapes, remove artillery weed seedlings from potted plants before transplanting to prevent future infestations.
Hand weeding effectively controls artillery weed in small areas. Because small seedlings are not easily removed by hand and artillery weed can regrow from roots or stem fragments, hand weeding must be thorough. Large and densely infested areas may be too labor intensive for such thorough hand weeding. Applying organic mulch (pinestraw, pinebark, etc.) at a depth of at least 2 inches has been shown to provide control in research trials.
Most of the common preemergence herbicides provide excellent control of artillery weed. Oxyfluorfen has been shown to provide good control (Freitas et al. 2004, Freitas et al. 2007a, Freitas et al. 2007b). Research trials at UF/IFAS have shown the following preemergents to provide excellent control: oxadiazon (Ronstar® G), dimethanamid-p (Tower®), indaziflam (Marengo® or Specticle®), pendimethalin + dimethanamid-p (FreeHand®), oxyfluorfen + pendimethalin (OH2®), oxyfluorfen + prodiamine (Biathlon®), prodiamine (Barricade®), pendimethalin (Pendulum®), s-metolachlor (Pennant Magnum®), isoxaben (Gallery®), and prodiamine + isoxaben (Gemini™). Table 1 lists preemergence herbicides labeled for use in ornamental plant production and landscapes and that can be used for the control of artillery weed.
Tank-mixing a preemergence herbicide in with a postemergence herbicide can improve control of artillery weed, which is a prolific seed producer. Herbicides, including oxadiazon (Ronstar® FLO) (Conover and Stamps 1994), flumioxazin (SureGuard®), and glufosinate (Finale®), have provided excellent postemergence control in research trials. Oxadiazon and flumioxazin are both primarily used as preemergence herbicides but do provide some early postemergence control. In greenhouse trials, these two herbicides have provided greater than 95% control of mature artillery weed. Contact herbicides, including pelargonic acid (Scythe®) and diquat (Reward®), can provide temporary control, but re-treatment is typically needed. Glyphosate (RoundUp® and many others), sulfosulfuron (Certainty®), and sulfentrazone (Dismiss®) typically only provide suppression or poor control. If artillery weed is growing in large containers, directed applications can be made using a contact action herbicide such as pelargonic acid or diquat but care must be taken to ensure ornamental foliage is not contacted. If the ornamental growth habit does not allow for directed applications to be made, granular formulations of oxadiazon (Ronstar® G) and liquid formulations of dimethenamid-p (Tower®) can provide some suppression of small artillery weed and are labeled for over-the-top use in many crops. A list of postemergence herbicides, including their labeled sites, are included in Table 2.
Conover, C. A., and R.H. Stamps. 1994. Controlling artillery plant (Pilea microphylla) with herbicides. University of Florida Research Report RH-94-7. http://mrec.ifas.ufl.edu/foliage/resrpts/rh_94_7.htm
Freitas, F. C. L,. et al. 2004. “Chemical weed control in bromeliários.” Congresso Brasileiro Da Ciência Das Plantas Daninhas São Pedro 24 CD-ROM.
Freitas, F. C. L., J.A.S Grossi, A.F. Barros, E.R. Mesquita, F.A. Ferreira, and J.G. Barbosa. 2007a. “Chemical control of Pilea microphylla in Orchid cultivation.” Planta Daninha 25(3): 589–593.
Freitas, F. C. L., J.A.S Grpsso, A.F. Barros, E.R. Mesquita, and F.A. Ferreira. 2007b. “Weed control in ornamental plant seedling production.” Planta Daninha 25(3) 595–601.
Gilman, E. F. 1999. Pilea microphylla Artillery Plant. FPS479. Gainesville: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fp479
Mallory-Smith, Carol A. and E. James Retzinger, Jr. 2003. “Revised Classification of Herbicides by Site of Action for Weed Resistance Management Strategies.” Weed Technology 17(3): 605–19. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3989198
USDA Plants Database. 2016. Pilea microphylla (L.) Liebm. http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=PIMI2 Table 1.
Preemergence herbicides labeled for use in ornamental plant production and landscapes and their efficacy for control of artillery weed.
|
Common Name (active ingredient) |
Example trade name and formulation |
Labeled Use Rate (Product/Acre) |
WSSA Herbicide Group1 |
Efficacy2 |
Container production |
Field production |
Greenhouse or fully-enclosed structures |
Landscape |
|
dithiopyr |
Dimension® 2EW |
1 to 2 pt. |
3 |
G |
YES |
YES |
NO |
YES |
|
pendimethalin |
Pendulum® 2G |
100 to 200 lb. |
3 |
G |
YES |
YES |
NO |
YES |
|
Pendulum® 3.3EC |
2.4 to 4.8 qt. |
YES |
YES |
NO |
YES |
|||
|
prodiamine |
RegalKade 0.5G |
132 to 300 lb. |
3 |
G |
YES |
YES |
NO |
YES |
|
Barricade® 4FL |
21 to 48 fl. oz. |
|||||||
|
flumioxazin |
Broadstar™ 0.25G |
150 lb. |
14 |
G |
YES |
YES |
NO |
YES |
|
SureGuard® 51WDG |
8 to 12 oz. |
YES3 |
YES3 |
NO |
YES4 |
|||
|
oxadiazon |
Ronstar® 2G |
14 |
G |
YES |
YES |
NO |
YES |
|
|
dimethenamid-p |
Tower® 6EC |
21 to 32 fl. oz. |
15 |
G |
YES |
YES |
NO |
YES |
|
s-metolachlor |
Pennant Magnum® 7.6 EC |
1.3 to 2.6 pt. |
15 |
S-G |
YES |
YES |
NO |
YES |
|
isoxaben |
Gallery® 75DF |
0.66 to 1.33 lb. |
21 |
G |
YES |
YES |
NO |
YES |
|
Gallery® 4.16SC |
16 to 31 fl. oz. |
|||||||
|
indaziflam |
Marengo® 0.622 SC |
7.5 to 15.5 fl.oz. |
29 |
G |
NO5 |
YES |
YES6 |
NO7 |
|
Marengo® 0.0224G |
100 to 200 lb. |
YES |
YES |
NO |
NO7 |
|||
|
pendimethalin+dimethenamid-p |
FreeHand® 1.75G |
100 to 200 lb. |
3 + 15 |
G |
YES |
YES |
NO |
YES |
|
1 Herbicide groups are based according to primary sites of action and can be used to select herbicides that have differing sites of action (Weed Technology 17:605-619 [2003]). 2 P = poor control; S = suppression, G = good control. 3 Can only be used in selected conifer and deciduous tree species. Check manufacturers label for a complete list of species and recommended application methods. 4 Can be applied as a directed application around established woody landscape ornamentals. 5 Marengo® 0.622 SC can be used in pot-in-pot container ornamentals as a directed application only. 6 Labeled for use on greenhouse floors only. 7 Indiziflam is also available by the trade name Specticle which can be applied to turf and landscape sites. |
||||||||
Postemergence herbicides labeled for use in and around ornamentals for control of artillery weed1.
|
Active Ingredient |
Example trade name |
Labeled Use Rates (product/Acre) |
WSSA Herbicide Group |
Container production2 |
Field production |
Greenhouse or fully-enclosed structures |
Landscape |
Notes: |
|
Diquat |
Reward® |
1 to 2 qt. |
22 |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
Thorough coverage and repeated applications may be needed. |
|
Flumioxazin |
SureGuard® |
8 to 12 oz. |
14 |
YES3 |
YES3 |
NO |
YES3 |
Higher rate provides better postemergence control. Primarily used as a preemergence herbicide. |
|
Glufosinate |
Finale® |
2 to 6 qt. |
10 |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
Thorough coverage is needed. |
|
Oxadiazon |
Ronstar® FLO |
80 to 122 fl. oz. |
14 |
YES4 |
YES4 |
NO |
YES |
Thorough coverage is needed. Primarily used as a preemergence herbicide. |
|
1 Postemergence control is highly dependant upon the growth stage at the time of application. Many factors can impact herbicide performance. Repeat applications and use of preemergence herbicides may be needed for complete control. 2 Herbicide groups are based according to primary sites of action and can be used to select herbicides that have differing sites of action (Mallory-Smith and Retzinger 2003). 3 Labeled for use as a directed application or over-the-top only to certain trees and conifers. Consult product label for details. 4 Labeled for use as a directed application or over-the-top only to certain conifers and a small list of other crops. Consult product label for details. |
||||||||
Release Date:December 20, 2019
Reviewed At:December 5, 2022
- DOI: 10.32473/edis-ep535-2016
- Critical Issue: 1. Agricultural and Horticultural Enterprises
This document is ENH1272, one of a series of the Environmental Horticulture Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date December 2016. Revised November 2019. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently supported version of this publication.
Debalina Saha, former graduate research assistant, Environmental Horticulture Department, Mid-Florida Research and Education Center; Chris Marble, assistant professor, Environmental Horticulture Department, Mid-Florida REC; Shawn Steed, environmental horticulture production Extension agent, UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County; and Nathan Boyd, associate professor, Department of Horticulture, Gulf Coast REC; UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611.
Pilea Microphylla Artillery plant care & Tips.
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