OK, so I got my fancy pants new Wildflowers of Texas book a while back and I've already used it to identify a few flowers. This one however eludes me. I guess maybe it's not really a true wildflower so that's why it's not in there? So, in my ongoing effort to catalog and identify as many plants as I can on the farm, I'll reach out to all of you.
It's growing all along the fence on one side of farm. It's about 2 feet tall. And as you can see, it has these little fuzzy yellowish "blooms" of some sort. I'm not sure, yet anyway, if it gets bigger, opens up into something, or even if it produces a fruit or seed pod of some sort later on in its life cycle. I think, in a way, it's actually kind of neat looking. I just want to be able to walk around in the future and know what everything is that's growing on our land.
Its official name is: Texas Croton.
Thank you to all who commented!
No idea, and most probably we don't even have it here in Lancashire! Hope someone can help you.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I bet you have some amazing plants there I'd love to have here. Isn't the world a fascinating place, full of diversity?
DeleteI've been lurking but had to come out to help.
ReplyDeleteIt's croton, http://essmextension.tamu.edu/plants/plant/annual-croton-texas-croton/ .
It's either nice to have around or a weed, depending on how many and where they're growing.
DING DING DING! Thank you, that's it exactly. Ha, true about the definition huh? Yes, where they are is along a fence line so it's ok, they are 'pretty', no weeds here.
DeleteThank you for coming out of lurking mode. We love all our peeps, lurkers and all! Thank you again. Great website you linked to. I'm going to save that. Should have known the A&M system would have some info. ;-)
It use to be called "snow on the meadow" and it is considered a weed. Cattle won't eat it but if you pick it and put it inside it will stain the cloth beneath i.
ReplyDeleteI lOVE that nickname. Too cool. I can see why, I bet in a meadow it would look somewhat like snow. Amazing how cows know what to avoid. I thought about some inside for decoration, thanks for the heads up, ha.
DeleteSilly that human kind lacks the ability to know what to avoid! Ha
DeleteI was told it was commonly known as goatweed. I had some and thought it was pretty.
ReplyDeleteYep, that's another name for it too! Love info like that. I wonder how that name game about? Maybe if cows don't like it goats do? It is very pretty, I don't mind having it, even if it's a weed. I'm still calling it a flower, lol.
DeleteThanks for the info!!
this is the host plant for the Goatweed butterfly. The caterpillar has a hard "skull cap" and rolls itself up in a leaf to keep spiders from eating it, presenting only the hard cap to view.
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