Dalmatian Toadflax
inaria genistifolia, var. dalmatica.
Designation/Status
Arizona Noxious Weed List -
Restricted
Federal Noxious Weed List –
Origins
Mediterranean regions of
Europe and western Asia.
Plant Characteristics
Life Cycle:
Perennial. Top growth dies back in fall and regenerates from root system each spring. Individual patches can persist for 13 years or more. Seed pods and pea-shaped flowers are maroon to pinkish in color. A single plant can produce up to one-half million seeds.
Seed and vegetative root buds. Can reach depths of six feet or more; lateral roots, normally found two to eight inches deep can extend 10 feet from parent plant.
Visual
Appearance: Stems are robust and woody at base and grow to a height of one to three feet tall.
Leaves are broad, ovate to lanceolate, heart shaped; alternate, leaves tend to wrap around stem, leaves whitish or
bluish with a waxy coat. Bright yellow flowers with an orange "throat" and a long spur (snapdragon-like); normally flowering mid-summer until early fall.
Habitat
Generally above 4,000 feet elevation. Found in fields,
overgrazed pastures, rangeland, waste areas, roadsides, and
disturbed areas.
Control Measures
Mechanical and Cultural: Dalmation Toadflax is very difficult to control once
established. Preventative measures include using certified weed-free
hay, prevent overgrazing, and stopping activities that result in
significant ground disturbances. Because of deep root system,
mechanical control is difficult. The entire root system must be
removed if hand-pulling is to be successful.
Biological: Provide
competition with desirable plant species.
Chemical: Herbicides provide the best means of control.
When using herbicides, be sure to use different chemicals each year
to prevent the establishment of a herbicide-resistant population.
Other Points of Interest
Arrive in North America as an
ornamental in 1874. Known as wild snapdragon.
