Flowers or Weeds? - Ask Extension
Hi,We're wondering if you can tell us what these two plants are, and if they are good or bad to have in our pasture. Files 0854 and 0855 are of the s...
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Flowers or Weeds? #568015
Asked June 06, 2019, 9:46 PM EDT
Hi,
We're wondering if you can tell us what these two plants are, and if they are good or bad to have in our pasture.
Files 0854 and 0855 are of the same plant.
Sorry the colors aren't great. Please let me know if you need better images. Thank you for the help
We're wondering if you can tell us what these two plants are, and if they are good or bad to have in our pasture.
Files 0854 and 0855 are of the same plant.
Sorry the colors aren't great. Please let me know if you need better images. Thank you for the help
Larimer County Colorado
Expert Response
Hello,
Both plants are in the mustard family and have very similar characteristics. The first plant is smallseed falseflax (Camelina microcarpa). It is an introduced plant from Europe and is an annual plant that reproduces by seed. The seeds are eaten by ground-foraging birds and it is not poisonous to animals. Depending on disturbance and moisture, the plant can become abundant.
The second plant is yellow alyssum (Alyssum alyssoides or A. simplex) and is an introduced annual that reproduces by seed. It is common in dry gravelly waste areas, foothills, and cropland.
Both plants are common in Larimer County and abundant this year. Pulling and bagging these plants is one control method. If you have a healthy pasture with desirable grasses, the grasses will help out compete both mustards.
Both plants are in the mustard family and have very similar characteristics. The first plant is smallseed falseflax (Camelina microcarpa). It is an introduced plant from Europe and is an annual plant that reproduces by seed. The seeds are eaten by ground-foraging birds and it is not poisonous to animals. Depending on disturbance and moisture, the plant can become abundant.
The second plant is yellow alyssum (Alyssum alyssoides or A. simplex) and is an introduced annual that reproduces by seed. It is common in dry gravelly waste areas, foothills, and cropland.
Both plants are common in Larimer County and abundant this year. Pulling and bagging these plants is one control method. If you have a healthy pasture with desirable grasses, the grasses will help out compete both mustards.
Thank you for the quick reply. We're trying to reestablish the pasture in the two areas where these plants are prominent. We'll keep pulling until the native grasses take over.
