Flower profile
Caesar weed
Urena lobata
Caesar weed is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. In Florida it's most often seen in bloom in January–December.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Florida
Quick look
Urena lobata, commonly known as Caesarweed or Congo jute, is a tender perennial, variable, erect, ascendant shrub or subshrub measuring up to 0.5 meters (1.6 ft) to 2.5 meters (8.2 ft) tall. The stems are covered with minute, star-like hairs and often tinged purple.
- It belongs to the Malvaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 3 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as not native to Florida. NatureServe
- In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in January–December. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 9,236 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #7 among the 110 flowers on our Florida list. iNaturalist
Caesar weed gift ideas
Handmade caesar weed gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
-
Placeholder
Caesar weed art print
-
Placeholder
Caesar weed greeting card
-
Placeholder
Caesar weed mug
-
Placeholder
Caesar weed earrings
-
Placeholder
Caesar weed embroidery pattern
-
Placeholder
Caesar weed sticker
When does it bloom?
In Florida, most flowering sightings come in January–December.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. NatureServe
- Florida
- Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Florida. FAC 5B-40.0055
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records caesar weed in 3 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana.
Florida counties with USDA records: Alachua, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, DeSoto, Escambia, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Lucie, Sumter, Volusia.
More Florida flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile URLO.
- iNaturalist, Urena lobata: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Urena lobata (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Florida: Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055).
- Florida: Florida Noxious Weed List (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-57.007).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Urena lobata (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Josiah Londerée via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.