Compass plant is a coarse plant that grows in the midwestern United States. It reaches a height of 10 feet (3 meters), and is covered with short, rough, hairlike parts. The leaves are about 11/2 feet (46 centimeters) long and cut into several lobes. The lower leaves of the compass plant tend to line up edgewise in a north-south direction. In this way, the leaves escape the strong midday sun, but get the full early morning and late afternoon sunlight. The compass plant is known as the pilotweed in some Midwestern States.
