Native to Puerto Rico & the U.S. Virgin Islands. Adventive to the U.S. in AZ, FL, GA, HI, KY, LA, NC, NM, SC, TX. Native to South America in Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela & in the Caribbean.
Self sows freely & can become invasive. But it is enchanting! The bright but tiny flowers are borne high above the chartreuse foliage & catch the eye from a goodly distance. Seed pods are present at the same time as blooms & are tiny little red pods which have been said to look like tiny jewels.
This plant is not picky about soils; wet, dry, poor or rich -- it seems any will do.

The leaves of this plant are edible; either raw or cooked & are said to taste somewhat like spinach. Some call this the Leaf A Day plant as it is rumored if you eat a leaf a day you will never get sick. Reported to be high in iron.

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They are in bloom as I write this, mid June. If they weren't so easy to pull and discard, they would be an invasive pest here in south Louisiana. I don't remember planting them, but for 10 years they have been returning each spring. They don't seem to have diseases or bugs that bother them, so maybe that's why they are so prolific. I don't even know what eats the seed pods as a food source. I still think they are a delightful little surprise plant I'm likely to find anywhere in my yard.

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This is a happy little plant in the hot, dry summers of zone 7 in Kentucky. In direct sun they are happier in pots where they are sure to get watered. They are a great addition to community pots where their little delicate jeweled stems rise to the top and show above others.

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These are coming along nicely from seeds.
They are growing under lights.

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