Fatoua villosa is native to temperate Asia, where the roots are used as medicine. The leaves and young stems are cooked as food, usually famine food as they have little taste. The plant found its way to the US, first discovered/described in Louisiana in the 50s-60s. It is a weed in the US, a very prolific seeder. The plant can produce seeds when only 3 inches tall. Ripe seeds are expelled and can be thrown three or four feet away. Unchecked, the plant can reach a height of up to four feet.
It is an agricultural weed, especially when fields are irrigated, and a pesky weed in greenhouses, where it can happily germinate in ideal conditions: damp/wet, warm and sunny. It is best to pull the weed as early as possible and to dispose of it. Do not compost. A layer of mulch may prevent germination of seed, but it's also possible that you can import the seed into your yard in a bag of commercial mulch.

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