What is this? Weed? Wildflower? Native? Invasive?

14 years ago

Click to enlarge photos. Top photo shows more detail. This photo was taken from inside a moving car and even on zoom, this was the best I could get.

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Comments (9)

marlingardener
14 years ago
Marti,
I'm not sure, but it could be stiff-stemmed flax, in which case it is a wildflower. Being an annual it probably is not invasive. If it is the flax, you might want to collect some of the seeds and have a patch in your garden.
You got a pretty good picture from a moving car--hope you weren't driving!
linda_tx8
14 years ago
For ID of a plant, you just have to stop and get out. Take lots of pics closer up. Driver wasn't happy about that idea, huh?
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TxMarti
Original Author
14 years ago
LOL Linda, I was lucky he slowed down long enough for me to roll down the window & snap a picture. I thought if this was something desirable, I'd make another trip over there by myself. It was blooming in August and that has to say a lot for it.

Thanks for the ID marlingardener, I'll find some better pics online and see if they match what I was really looking at.
TxMarti
Original Author
14 years ago
At least I can't find anything exactly like it. This is about 2 feet tall, growing in a ditch so it was wet a couple of weeks ago when we got so much rain, and the leaves are very thick on it.
prairiepaintbrush
14 years ago
it looks purty and not like anything I've seen. Please try it and let us know! Where 'bouts was it? If it was in a ditch, it's prolly a good candidate for a garden where it will get supplimental water.
debndal
14 years ago
I kinda thought the flowers looked like calylophus, but the leaves look kinda like primrose. So I did some looking and came up with maybe Western Primrose, Calylophus Hartwegii. If not, here's a good place to look for wildflowers by color.

Here is a link that might be useful: Yellow wildflowers
TxMarti
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks debndal, great site.

Prairiepaintbrush, this was taken down by Hillsboro right after it rained a couple of weeks ago. But I saw some yellow flowers at the corner of Hwy 77 and I287 and I think it looks similar. I can easily stop by there.
prairiepaintbrush
14 years ago
Hmm. I used to go down by Hillsboro every year to look at wildflowers and collect seeds. Amazing how you always see something you haven't seen before!

Good luck in collecting some. I just looked at the picture again and it definitely has me stumped. Why don't you send the pic to Mr. Smarty Pants at the Lady Bird wildflower center thingie? I bet they'll know what it is.
sylviatexas1
14 years ago
Marti, that looks like the same thing that's in riotous bloom in a ditch at the gas station at the northwest corner of Hwy 77 & 287 in Waxahachie.

Re: water requirements:
its companion plant is cattails!

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What is this? Weed? Wildflower? Native? Invasive?

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What is this? Weed? Wildflower? Native? Invasive?

Comments (9)

marlingardener

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