Key identifying traits
-
Plants grow erect, 1-3’ tall &
have a long taproot
-
Leaves are up to 12” long and
are narrow
-
Plants contain a milky juice
-
Flowers
are lemon-yellow ray flowers
-
Each stalk is swollen just
beneath the flower head
-
Seed heads look like huge
dandelions
Biology and ecology
-
A biennial plant spreading by
seeds
-
A plant commonly growing in
waste areas and along road sides
-
This plant is from Eurasia and
is now established over much of North America
-
It is not usually an aggressive
plant in our county
-
There
are two other similar species: meadow salsify which is not
swollen beneath the flower and common salsify which has purple
flowers
Control
Prevention –
Learn to identify plants; start monitoring early in the season
Biological –
No known biological control here
Cultural –
Plant competitive grass or other cover crop
Mechanical –
Does not tolerate tillage and will pull up fairly easily
Chemical – the
PNW Weed Management handbook lists clopyralid + 2,4-D & chlorsulfuron
+ metsulfuron as being good for control of salsify
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