When does harvestlice bloom?

Harvestlice blooms from June through September, producing slender spikes of small yellow flowers.

What pollinators visit harvestlice flowers?

Bees and beetles are the primary visitors to harvestlice flowers, drawn to the small yellow blooms along its tall flower spikes.

What growing conditions suit harvestlice best?

Harvestlice grows well in part sun with medium to consistently moist soil, often found along stream banks, low woods, and damp thickets.

How can I identify harvestlice?

Look for a tall, slender forb with compound serrated leaves, small five petaled yellow flowers on narrow spikes, and bristly burred seed pods that cling to clothing and fur.

Is Harvestlice toxic to livestock?

The USDA PLANTS Database does not flag Harvestlice as toxic to livestock.

Is Harvestlice HOA-friendly?

Harvestlice takes more care to look intentional in a front yard. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

Harvestlice

Name: Pollinator Patch
Author: Pollinator Patch

Agrimonia parviflora

Last reviewed: August 2026

Agrimonia parviflora, or harvestlice, is a tall forb that produces small yellow flowers from June through September in moist thickets, low meadows, and woodland edges throughout much of the eastern and central United States.

Toxicity unknown

Harvestlice (Agrimonia parviflora) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.

The USDA PLANTS Database (opens in new tab) does not flag Harvestlice as toxic to livestock.

Light

part sun

Water

medium

Size

24"–48" H × 12"–24" W

Bloom

Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep

Native to

AL, AR, CT, DE and 28 more states

Pollinators

bees, beetles

Before you buy

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Swamp agrimony is a native perennial wildflower that produces small yellow flowers on tall, slender spikes from summer into fall. This woodland edge plant forms loose clumps and has compound leaves that turn golden in autumn.

Growing Harvestlice

Grow Harvestlice in part sun and medium water. Mature plants reach 24 to 48 inches tall and spread 12 to 24 inches wide. Expect low maintenance to keep it looking intentional in a front yard.

In an HOA neighborhood

Harvestlice takes more care to keep looking intentional in a front yard. Maintenance level: low. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

Works well in: backyard only.

Tall, informal growth habit looks too wild for most front yards
Small flowers and narrow spikes lack visual impact
Can appear weedy or unkempt to conventional landscaping standards

Wildlife value

The long blooming period provides nectar for native bees and beneficial beetles throughout the growing season. Seeds may attract small birds in late fall.

Common questions

When does harvestlice bloom?: Harvestlice blooms from June through September, producing slender spikes of small yellow flowers.
What pollinators visit harvestlice flowers?: Bees and beetles are the primary visitors to harvestlice flowers, drawn to the small yellow blooms along its tall flower spikes.
What growing conditions suit harvestlice best?: Harvestlice grows well in part sun with medium to consistently moist soil, often found along stream banks, low woods, and damp thickets.
How can I identify harvestlice?: Look for a tall, slender forb with compound serrated leaves, small five petaled yellow flowers on narrow spikes, and bristly burred seed pods that cling to clothing and fur.
Is Harvestlice toxic to livestock?: The USDA PLANTS Database does not flag Harvestlice as toxic to livestock.
Is Harvestlice HOA-friendly?: Harvestlice takes more care to look intentional in a front yard. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

These answers were drafted with an AI model from this plant's data. Verify care details with a local expert.

Native range data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew). Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.

If something looks wrong

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