Photo of flixweed plant growing in a disturbed site.

Typical plant growing in disturbed site.

Photo of rosettes on a flixweed plant

Rosettes have finely divided leaves.
 
Green colored leaves that look like ferns
 
The leaves are fern-like in appearance.
 

yellow colored flowers at the top of a flixweed plant

Flowers are tiny, yellow and produce long, slender seed pods.
 
green colored branches with a blue sky background

 

The flowers are arranged in a branched structure. 

All photos by S. donaldson.

 

Other common names

Tansy mustard, herb sophia

Scientific name

Descurinia sophia

Family

Brassicaceae

Description

A bushy, much-branched plant that grows up to 2 or more feet tall, flixweed blooms early in the spring.

  • Leaves

    The leaves are finely divided and hairy. The hairs are branched.

  • Stems

Stems are upright and branched. Plants grow in a rosette (ground-hugging form, see photo to the right) until the flowering stems are growing.

  • Flowers

Tiny and yellow with four petals;arranged in branched structures. Blooms from early spring to summer.

  • Seeds

    Produces narrow seed pods 1/2 to 1 1/4 inches long.

  • Roots

Has a short taproot.

Native to

Europe, naturalized in much of the United States

Where it grows

Gardens, landscaped areas, rangeland, vacant lots, roadsides and other disturbed or unmanaged sites.

Life cycle

Winter annual (sprouts in fall or early winter), summer annual (sprouts in spring or summer), sometimes biennial (flowers and dies in the second year of growth)

Reproduction

Reproduces by seed.

Control methods

Flixweed is a prolific seed‐producer, and can build up a reserve of seed in the soil. The seeds survive for years in the soil. Plants are most easily removed when they are small rosettes (ground‐hugging forms). Control relies on preventing the production of seed.

 

  • Mechanical

    Dig, hoe or pull young plants. Use mechanical control methods prior to formation of flowers and seeds. Mow to prevent flowering and production of seed.

    Cultural

    Plant desirable vegetation to compete with tumble mustard; minimize soil disturbance.

    Biological

    Do not graze. Eating large quantities of flowers can be toxic to livestock, and can result in death.

    Chemical

    Apply broadleaf-selective herbicides on young plants.

References

Angvick, T. and M. Schat. 2009. HPIPM: Flixweed. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health, U. of Georgia, http://wiki.bugwood.org/ HPIPM:Flixweed.

DiTomaso, J.M. and E.A. Healy. 2007. Weeds of California and Other Western States. University of California Publication #3488.

Howard, Janet L. 2003. Descurainia sophia. In: Fire Effects Information System. U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer), http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/forb/dessop/all.html.

UC IPM. 2010. Flixweed, http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/WEEDS/ flixweed.html

Whitson, Tom D. (editor). 2002. Weeds of the West. University of Wyoming, Jackson, Wyoming.

Donaldson, S., Hanson Mazet, W. 2010, A Northern Nevada Homeowner’s Guide to Identifying and Managing Flixweed, Extension | University of Nevada, Reno FS-10-25
Printable    Version    (PDF)

Extension Associated Contacts

Heidi Kratsch
Heidi Kratsch
 

Also of Interest:

 
Managing Black Henbane
This fact sheet contains information on ways to manage Black Henbane such as mechanical controls, cultural controls, biological controls, and many more.
 Graham, J. and Johnson, W. 2004, Extension | University of Nevada, Reno, FS-04-10
 

Associated Programs

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Master Gardeners of Washoe County

Master Gardeners provide free, research-based horticulture information to Nevadans.

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Master Gardeners of Nevada

Program trains local gardeners to provide research-based horticulture information to Nevadans

Garden plant and pest sprayers image by Olga Seifutdinova from Getty Images

Integrated Pest Management

Integrated Pest Management program is a long-term management strategy that uses a combination of tactics to reduce pests to tolerable levels with potentially lower costs for the pest manager and minimal effect on the environment.