PLANT HEIGHT : 40–70cm.
FLOWER SIZE : 6–10mm wide.
FRUIT : Four nutlets, with hooked bristles.
FLOWERING TIME : May–August.
SIMILAR SPECIES : Green Hound’s-tongue, which has hairs only on mthe undersides of its leaves.
Hound’s-tongue is a roughly hairy plant, with soft, hairy, greyish green leaves with a coarse texture. It forms a distinct tuft, sending up long branching cymes that uncoil to reveal a row of five-petalled, very dark crimson or dull purplish flowers, which have a characteristic smell of mice. Four large, bristly nutlets are squeezed tightly into the outspread calyx.
Hi! I'm not sure if people understand that not all wild flowers are created equal. A wild flower may be beautiful but it could have a deadly consequence. For example, the flower pictured here (Hound's Tongue) is considered a "non-native exotic weed" in the U.S. It was brought from Europe accidentally.
ReplyDeleteThis weed isn't called "hound's tongue" for no reason. The sticky seeds of this weed attach themselves to anything and everything...socks, dogs, horses, you name it. It is poisonous to most livestock and wildlife that eat it. It is probably one of the worst weeds in the Rocky Mountain West (although there are a few other "bad" weeds). We are working to eradicate this weed, and unfortunately it has to be pulled by hand. Actually, it usually can't be pulled effectively, it has to be dug out.
It is very difficult work. Please don't encourage people to propagate this weed.