| Horseweed |
| Erigeron canadensis |
| Family: Asteraceae (Aster) |
| Flowers — color: white, size: 1/8 " dia., type: daisy (compund) |
The Horseweed flower head is a 1/8" cylinder surrounded by green phylarries. The flower head holds dozens of white ray florets surrounding a dozen yellow disk florets. Dozens of short branches at the top hold a hundred or more flowers. Each plant can make 200,000 seeds. Very late blooming for our area [September].
Habit:
Horseweed is a tall annual or biennial. A single stem grows to 4' tall and holds dark green narrow leaves, some up to 4" long. Similar form to white cudweed. The Chumash used this plant to treat body aches and kidney problems.
Horseweed has become a world-wide weed. It was the first weed to gain resistance to glyphosate/Roundup. Despite its ability to propagate, it does not seem to compete well with native plants of the coastal scrub. Open sunny grassland.
Obs: By the driveway to VVCSD tanks.