Issue 3, May 20, 2019

Fields of Yellow

The fields of central Illinois may not be full of corn or soybeans yet, but they are full of yellow.  Butterweed is having a glorious year with the cool, wet weather conditions we have experienced.  It is quite striking to see an entire field of yellow on an otherwise barren landscape.  I’ve seen people stop to take pictures of it.  My farmer brother recently watched two girls haul away buckets of the cut flowers from his field.  He was fine with it but was puzzled just the same as to why they would want this weed of his.  More power to them.  Please, come take more.

Butterweed, also known as cressleaf groundsel, is additionally known as Senecio by many.  The latin name was Senecio glabellus for many years but was changed in the last few years to Packera glabella.  Other common names include ragwort and squawweed.  Regardless of what you may call it, this is a weed we have been seeing much more frequently in recent years although it is native to North America.

This weed may be confused with other yellow blooming weeds.  Keep in mind that it’s still too early in the growing season for wild parsnip and the goldenrods will not be in bloom until late summer.  Similar sounding names can be confusing too.  The Buttercup family (not butterweed) has several members that bloom yellow.  Yellow Rocket is a mustard that is also known as winter cress.  “Cress” is actually found in several plant names.

Butterweed is a winter annual that grows erect on a hollow, succulent, smooth stem from a basal rosette.  Stems are typically green but can have a reddish coloring as well, often in vertical stripes.  Stems can reach 3 ft in height.  Leaves along the stem are deeply lobed, smooth, and often glossy.  The flowers of this aster are somewhat distinct.  Appearing in clusters at the end of the stems, they are bright yellow or golden.  Unopened flowers are somewhat rounded in shape.  Slightly lighter colored outer ray petals number 5 to 15 and surround the slightly darker colored disk florets.  The number of petals is useful in differentiating between this species and other yellow weeds in bloom at this time.  Mustards will have 4 petals.  The seed heads are dandelion-like puffballs which are disseminated by the wind.  Occasionally, they find their way to landscape beds.  They should be removed before seed heads develop.


Butterweed


Butterweed


Field of Butterweed

Author:
Michelle Wiesbrook

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