Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Wicked Weed


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Here’s another one I pursue. I don’t know the name so I hope someone can identify it. If you know its name (or even its alias), please leave a comment.

It looks like yellow rocket (Barbara vulgaris) – winter cress.
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But the flowers are white not yellow as in the description. “. . .bright yellow flowers clustered at the tips of the uppermost branches can be observed around fence posts or other structures. . .” (See page 15 in Weed Management in Turf.) The mature height is about 6 inches.

Those pretty little flowers will grow into not so pretty seed stalks. If you come anywhere near them they will violently shoot tiny seeds in all directions.
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Pulling them out after they have seeds is almost useless. They live to grow again

Gotta get them before they go to seed!

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6 comments:

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

I don't know, Marie. But I hope someone can I.D. it, because I have been fighting this weed for two years now.

Marie said...

MG,

It was good to hear that I'm not alone in this battle. LOL Misery loves company. Fight on!

Marie said...

I think I've found it - Hairy Bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta)
http://ipm.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/carhi.htm

I got a clue from Tina Clinfelter's March 24 post on Gardening in the Keystone State

http://keystonegardening.blogspot.com/

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Wouldn't that be something to see it shoot it's seeds 10 feet! I will have to be diligent about not leaving it until it flowers.

Matriarchy said...

I've got plenty of that weed, too! Last year, I ignored it too long, and it formed those seed pods that pop and shoot seeds all over when you touch them. Now, of course, I Have new weeds all over. Humph.

Marie said...

Matriarchy,

I feel silly. I looked at the picture on your blog. I even enlarged it. (It's a good picture.) But, I was too dense to relate it to the weed in my garden. I could have saved myself some trouble.

Thanks for posting the identification.