This is Yellow Starthistle, also known as golden star thistle, yellow cockspur, St. Barnaby’s thistle. At the stage in the photograph it resembles a dandelion. After it has bloomed it takes on the look of little cottonballs. It can grow from a few inches to 3 feet high. Some invasive species are unwanted because they ... Read More

A question that many who are not in agriculture might ask is “Why should I care about weeds?” The weeds featured in this column are called invasive for a reason. They take over a region, push out native grasses and steal water resources. Many livestock and wildlife will not eat them and will either starve ... Read More

Laura LaForest Scotch Broom, Cytisus scoparius The yellow blossoms of scotch broom provide a dramatic splash of color across the landscape and along roadsides in late spring and early summer.  Thought to be quite beautiful, it was introduced to California from the Mediterranean as an ornamental by European settlers in the 1850’s. Other uses included ... Read More