Water-pepper is a semi-erect summer annual with a tendency to sprawl and leans on other plants for support. Its habitat includes soggy woodlands, floodplains, edges of river and ponds, roadside ditches and other poorly drained locations. Disturbed wetlands are preferred. It will grow in a variety of soil textures. In disturbed wetlands, it can spread aggressively. It is hermaphrodite, has both male and female organs, and is self-fertile. Its tiny flowers and usually bud-like in shape, not totally open. Each flower is replaced by a 3-angle, dull-looking seed. The seeds are black or dark brown. It often reseeds itself and forms colonies. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: It has few insect problems.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.