Blue Mountains National Resources Institute

Wanted: DEAD!

Puncturevine

Alias: Goathead, Mexican sandbur, Texas sandbur, ground bur-nut, land caltrop

• Stems: Slender and hairy, 6 to 30 inches long, branching from base, prostrate or somewhat ascending. Forms mats up to 4 feet across.
• Leaves: Opposite, hairy, divided into four to eight pairs of 1/2-inch leaflets, which are asymmetrical at the base.
• Flowers: Five-petalled, yellow, 1/2-inch wide, short-stalked, borne in the leaf axils. Flowering period is from May to September.
• Seeds: Five separate sections that split at maturity; each with two long woody spines separated by a narrow line of short projections; each segment 2 to 4-seeded. Burs are sharply pointed and can puncture bike and light truck tires.

Puncturevine is an annual that spreads by seeds. It has a simple taproot with many fine rootlets to take advantage of low moisture areas, and survive droughts. It generally prefers dry, sandy, or gravely sites, and is common along roads and highways in Oregon.

Control methods depend on the nature of the infestation. Call your local weed board for the latest information.

Report all sightings to your local Weed Board