Key identifying traits
- Flowers are small and blue
to deep violet
- Leaves and stems are covered
with bristly hairs that cling to clothing and animals
- Stems are weak so plants
tend to bend over
- Seed pods have a distinctive
“clam shape” but are toothed
- Plants can grow to 1 to 4’
long
Biology and ecology
- An annual reproducing from
seeds
- A common weed along
roadsides, waste areas, barnyards, and cultivated fields
- This plant is an introduced
species from Europe
- Infests many acres in the
western United States
- Does not compete well with
grass, tends to mature and “dry up” relatively early in the growing
season
Control
Prevention –
Learn to identify plants; check areas early in the season for new plants
Biological –
No known biological control
Cultural –
Planting a competitive crop or grass can help crowd out the weeds
Mechanical –
Cultivation will help if done before seeds form. Hand pulling is more
difficult as the plant tends to break off, however if only a few plants
exist they could be successfully dug up
Chemical –Difficult due to the hairs
but use of a surfactant can help herbicide to penetrate plant, there are
several on the market that can give fairly effective control of
Catchweed: refer to the PNW Weed Management Handbook for
specific chemical recommendations
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