Re: Not Balsamorhiza (was Mystery Weed)

Hey Barry (et al.) -

I 'cross pollinated' this query to CA-Natives and got these responses, which I
think are accurate IDs of the composite in your photo.

Seán A. O'Hara
sean(at)gimcw.org
www.hortulusaptus.com
(ask about mediterranean climate gardening forum)


-------------------- Original Message (on CA-Natives) --------------------

I agree with Michael's ID of" Heterotheca
grandiflora"-Telegraph weed- a Ca. native  that
will grow "weedily".

Doreen Smith


>My guess is Heterotheca grandiflora - which is very easy to grow from seed.
>
>Michael Fugate
>UC Riverside
>On Sep 25, 2007, at 10:28 AM, Sean A. O'Hara wrote:
>
>>Hi Barry -
>>
>>In what area do you find this 'weed' growing?  Rich Dufresne's ID of a
>>Balsamorhiza species is certainly reasonable, but CalFlora holds no record of
>>any species of this genus occurring in Santa Cruz county (which is where I
>>believe you are?) even though Munz's A Calif. Flora & Supplement lists B.
>>deltoidea as an inner coast ranges species.  I can recall seeing Balsam Roots
>>in flower in the greater Bay Area in late Spring but am not sure if I've see
>>them in S.C. Co.
>>
>>I've always thought that these plants would be
>>handsome in the garden but have
>>never had the opportunity to try one in a landscape.  They prefer sandy,
>>well-drained soils, and warm, dry summers.  Grown in a garden and allowed to
>>go summer dry, the leaves might look a bit better by the time the go dormant.
>>From what I've observed, these plants can bulk-up considerably over time,
>>creating a dense mass of perennial roots, which is responsible for the large
>>amount of flowers one often sees on specimens.
>>
>>Does any one grow these in the garden?
>>
>>Seán A. O'Hara
>>sean(at)gimcw.org
>>www.hortulusaptus.com
>>(ask about mediterranean climate gardening forum)
>>
>>>On 9/24/07, B. Garcia <paroxytone@gmail.com> wrote on Medit-Plants:
>>>I've been meaning to get an image of this plant for ages to ask what
>>>it is, and I've been unsuccessful with web searches, so here it goes.
>>>
>>>This is a very common weed in distutrbed areas, very frequent along
>>>roadsides and parking lots. I think it's somewhat attractive, and
>>>would be moreso if the plants didn't look like hell by the end of
>>>summer when they beguin to die. The flowers aren't as clear yellow as
>>>the image suggests, and this was taken from about 15 feet away from my
>>>car, so excuse the lack of true clarity. Hopefully it's clear enough!
>>>
>>>here's the link
>>>http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1354/1420862125_e79409d555.jpg?v=0


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