Download Least Wanted Weeds - Clearwater County, Idaho

Least Wanted Weeds
Dalmation Toadflax
Growth Habits: Colony-forming, perennial. Reproduces by
seed and roots.
Leaves: Alternate, pale-green, fleshy, heart-shaped and clasp
the stem.
Stems: Erect, woody, two to four feet tall.
Flowers: Numerous, yellow-orange, snapdragon-like, with a
long spur.
Roots: Deep and horizontal, send up new stems. Breaking up
the roots by tilling spreads root fragments that develop new
plants
Seeds: Many irregularly angled seeds, 1/8 inch long, are
produced in a two-celled capsule.
Poison Hemlock
Growth Habits: A bienneal that contains very poisonous
toxins. Hemlock has been known to kill humans. Grows in
poorly drained soils
Leaves: Numerous, thick, fern-like, shiny-green.
Stems: Hollow, green stems have a purple mottling along
their six to ten foot length.
Flowers: Small white flowers are in umbrella shaped
clusters.
Roots: Thick taproot.
Seeds: This weed produces many sesame-shaped seeds.
This Entire Plant is Toxic
Meadow Knapweed
Growth Habits: Perennial, spreads by seed or creeping
roots.
Leaves: Lower leaves are long-stalked, some entire,
some lobed. Upper leaves are nearly stalkless, entire and
small.
Stems: Erect, up to three and a half feet tall, with many
branches.
Flowers: Borne in large heads at the end of each branch,
bracts are deeply fringed, flowers are pink to violet.
Roots: Taproot with creeping rhizomes.
Seeds: Borne in fruit that may or may not have a few
minute scales on the apex.
Rush Skeleton Weed
Growth Habits: A perennial that spreads by seeds
and rood buds. Plant has milky juice.
Leaves: Basal rosette leaves withers as stem
develops.
Stems: Numerous branched stems can grow to four
feet tall and have small bent red hairs on their
bases.
Flowers: Numerous yellow flower heads are
scattered on the branches
Roots: Dense and spreading rhizomes. Can
reproduce from small root pieces.
Seeds: Soft white bristles make this a wind
dispersed weed.
Jointed Goatgrass
Growth Habit: Winter annual grass. Can cross hybridize
with winter wheat ruining the seeds.
Leaves: Grass blades have evenly spaced, long hars on
the margins and overlapping, papery ligules.
Stems: Erect, up to a foot tall.
Flowers: Insignificant to identify.
Roots: Fibrous.
Seeds: Two per segment. Segments grow on stems giving
the grass a jointed appearance. Grain that contains jointed
goatgrass seed cannot be certified. Seelings can be
identified by pulling up; the segment will still be attached.
Yellow Starthistle
Growth Habits: Reaches one to three feet in
height.
Leaves: Basal, deeply lobed & clustered, upper
leaves narrow with smooth margins & sharply
pointed.
Stems: Rigid and branched from the base; thirty
inches tall, bushy, woolly & grayish in color.
Flowers: Heads are urn-shaped; flowers are
yellow with straw-colored thorns.
Canada Thistle
Growth Habits: Reaches up to five feet in height.
Leaves: Wavy margined to lobe, up to six inches long and
have yellowish spines.
Stems: Single, branches near the top, ridged and hollow.
Flowers: Heads up to one inch in diameter and not very
spiny. Flowers are purple to lavender, occasionally white.
Yellow Toadflax
Growth Habits: Perennial, reproduces by
seeds and rootstocks. Contains a harmful
glucocide that may be harmful to livestock.
Leaves: Many pale, narrow green leaves,
pointed at both ends.
Stems: One to two feet tall, smooth.
Flowers: Showy, snapdragon-like, yellow
flowers develop in clusters at tips of branched
stems.
Roots: Shallow and lateral, clumps of plants
grow from these roots.
Seeds: Round, dark colored with notched,
papery collars that act as wings in spreading the
seed.