Skip to main content

Weed Identification: Goatheads or Stickers


Goatheads (Tribulus terrestris) are native to Southern Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. Goatheads are also called stickers, sticker weed, bullhead, devil’s weed, and puncturevine. Goatheads are easily recognized by their prostrate growth form,


leaves with leaflets,



yellow flowers,


and stickers (Goatheads).


If you miss’em visually then they will stab you painfully in the fingers as you work your garden, or stick to your clothing and shoes. Goatheads are the primary reason local bicyclists must get “thorn proof” tires for riding on area trails and streets.

Goatheads have prostrate stems that radiate outward from one central point. Leaves are compound with smaller leaflets. Lemon yellow flowers form along the stems and fertilized flowers form fruits.  Fruits consist of several attached structures called nutlets (Goatheads).

Each nutlet is a single seed that becomes hard or woody when mature. Each seed has two sharp spines that easily penetrate skin, clothing, and soles of shoes. This attachment mechanism allows puncturevine seed to be spread great distances from the mother plant.


Goatheads have a short tap root located below the center of growth,
 
 
so digging it out is very easy but best to wear gloves seed bearing specimens. This method uses no chemicals and if done before seeds are present or while seeds are still green, virtually assures that you’ll remove all the Goatheads associated with that plant.

In sandy or moist soils simply grasp the puncturevine from its center point of attachment and pull.
 
 
In harder soils, use a shovel to go under the plant and cut the puncturevine off from its root. Then use the shovel to carry it (and all its stickers) and dump it in the trash or other container.


Contact Trees That Please Nursery for more information. 

Photos & Narrative By:
Stephen Sain
Staff Plant Physiologist

Comments

Anonymous said…
Thank you for posting this.
KKrattiger in eastern NM
September 27, 2014 at 4:59 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Weed Identification: Sand Bur

Sand Bur ( Cenchrus longispinus ) is native to North America. It has other names like sand spur, long-spined sand bur, hedgehog grass, and bur grass . Sand Bur is an annual grass usually growing with a prostrate growth form. It is similar in appearance to other grasses prior to seed formation. Individual plants may be 3’ in diameter, sometimes larger. Sand Bur is a common weed of sandy soils but also grows well elsewhere. Sand Bur will often root at stem nodes that are touching the ground. The root system of Sand Bur is shallow and fibrous making them easily pulled (when immature). Sand Bur produces a flowering spike. As seeds begin to form Sand Bur is easily recognized by its numerous sharp or burred seeds or long spines. As the burred seeds mature they are easily separated from the mother plant and their sharp spines stick to virtually anything. Sand Bur can disseminate its seeds long distances because its sharp spines will hitch a ride on skin, animal hides,
5 comments
Read more

Mulberry Tree

The Mulberry tree ( Morus alba ) is also known as white mulberry. Mulberry trees are fast growing, deciduous trees that are native to China. Mulberry trees can reach 25’-30’ tall and 35’-40’ wide, or larger. Fruitless mulberry or male trees are generally considered more desirable than the female or fruit bearing trees. However, fruitless mulberry trees are prolific pollen producers and are banned in some communities because of allergen potential. Mulberries can grow 4’-6’ per year producing a tree canopy that is more wide than tall. Where water is not limiting, mulberries make great shade trees producing a deep, dark, shade canopy. Leaves are large and sometimes variable in shape. A few strategically planted mulberries can shade an entire yard. The female mulberry tree produces abundant sweet fruit that resemble blackberries. Female trees are very messy because of fruit drop so plant them away from sidewalks, driveways, and the house. Mulbe
Post a Comment
Read more