Any roof, anywhere, if you neglect it.

It's one of life's great riddles -- how can something so pretty and so useful be such a horror? It creeps into your walls, over your roof, and causes horrible damage and leaking roofs, and places for bugs to come in, and who knows what.

But it's so pretty in bloom!

Moreover, it's God's gift to medicine. It's in a group of oxidole alkaloids with immune-stimulant and antileukemic properties, and its quinovic acid glycosides have documented anti-inflammatory and antiviral actions.

It also has antioxidant chemicals and immunostimulant, anti-inflammatory, anticancerous, and cell-repairing properties.

Scientifically speaking: also known as ancaria tomentosa and in Spanish as Uña de Gato.