Can anyone tell me what this is. It has yellow flowers before the seeds pod opens.

by Anita H

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Before the seeds blow away!

60 answers

Pam on May 12, 2012
Looks like dandelions. It's a weed and very invasive. Those are the seed and are carried by the wind. Whereever they fall they root and spread like wild fire.

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Amy Q on May 12, 2012
so pretty it's different from dandelion, can't wait for someone to tell what is this.

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Lisa K on May 12, 2012
~ As a child, I used to see these blowing with the wind. I would catch it very gently, close my eyes, make a wish and then blow it away. It was rare to see one blowing in the wind so it was a big deal. I am curious to know what this is as well. This is the first time I have actually seen it as a flower. ~

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Kate N on May 12, 2012
Bohemian thistle I think, but they don't have thistles, that just what I have always heard them called

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Lisa K on May 12, 2012
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9242564@N07/5867659181/

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Lisa K on May 12, 2012
The seed head is 3" across and spectacular in the sunlight. Taken with Vivitar 135mm f2.8 lens and Canon FD-25 extension tube. Tragopogon, also known as salsify or goatsbeard, is a genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family Asteraceae that has over 140 species, including the vegetable known as salsify, as well as a number of common wild flowers, some of which are usually regarded as weeds.

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Pam on May 12, 2012
Lisa, that definitely looks the same as the picture above.

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Douglas Hunt on May 13, 2012
Anita, you should Google yellow goatsbeard and see if that's what your plant looked like before it went to seed.

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Susanne M on May 13, 2012
douglas...got to love you....so very informative!! thank you!!

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Barbara L on May 13, 2012
its a dandelion... we have them here atm and they are definately a pest...

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Barbara L on May 13, 2012
if you want to get rid of them you can mow them over while they are flowers... if you mow tem when they are the feathery each of the "feathers" holds seeds and you spread them... so if they are not flowers you have to pull them out by hand...not mow them...

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Karen W on May 13, 2012
Dandelion...I have heard that the young plant leaves are good in salad or the flowers make good Dandelion wine...never tried either myself

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Melissa L on May 13, 2012
Milkweed? Their pods are 3" long.

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Debbie C on May 13, 2012
I have wild Golden rods that come up from no where and the turn into those when they stop flowering right before they die !! They are very very Invasive !!

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Cynthia T on May 13, 2012
Dandelions??? Hardly. Lisa is correct.....Definitely GOATSBEARD.....not even closely related to dandelions..check any wildflower book and you will find it. Lovely flower and lovely fruit...But unfortunately,just another invasive European plant...this country is full of them.

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Jeannie M on May 13, 2012
It doesn't have dandelion leaves

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Vivian S on May 13, 2012
Definitely not dandelions. Dandelions have a broad toothy leaf. These leaves are narrow and spiky. Additionally their seed heads are twice as full and are rarely over 12" tall.

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Sherie S on May 13, 2012
they are dandelions they are pest but you can make tea from them very good tea to in joy

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Christina R on May 13, 2012
Goatsbeard

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Rose S on May 13, 2012
If it has slightly purple flowers, then I am going with Thistle. They can be so very invasive. I wasn't smart enough to get rid of the first one, because I liked the blossoms. It took me forever to eradicate it, and am glad that I did.

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Geri R on May 13, 2012
This is a flower, wildflower can't remember but i to believe that it is a goat's beard. comes in alot of wild flower mixes, will stick for awhile so if you don't want them, diggin up before seed blows away.

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Bhall on May 13, 2012
Dandelion? Allium?

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Christy B on May 13, 2012
Looks like dandelion to me too.

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Dianne on May 13, 2012
shoes??? or did you select the wrong photo?

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Karen M on May 13, 2012
looks like a cleome after the flower part dies.

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Diana S on May 13, 2012
My children's greatgrandmother used to have me pick one and spray it with Hairspray to preserve it as they are beautiful... Yup, it's a weed, but rare nowadays...

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Diana S on May 13, 2012
It's in the Dandelion family and is not milkweed...

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Vivian S on May 13, 2012
Here's a cool video of a dandelion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ_QqtXoyQw

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Joann S on May 13, 2012
Wild salsify. It has a yellow flower and a seed ball about 3 inches across. Hope this helps.

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Carol M on May 14, 2012
I vote for goatsbeard..I have lots of dandylions, the structure and leaves are totally different. would like to see the flower..

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Carol M on May 14, 2012
also dandelion has one flower each stalk, this has many...

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Linda on May 14, 2012
Goatsbeard. It's evident by the foliage in the photo. They are very pretty if you pick it carefully and spray it with hairspray or clear coat spray. Makes a nice detail in an arrangement.

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Anita H on May 14, 2012
Thanks everyone. I found pics of goatsbeard that are exactly like this. I think every flower is a 'weed'. It's just that people decided which ones they did or didn't like. I like these. So, I call them a flower! LOL.

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Eileen S on May 14, 2012
Looks like goatsbeard to me. Whenever we see them in the neighborhood we spray them with weed killer before they spread into our garden.

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Holly B on May 14, 2012
You should blow the fluff off and make a wish:)

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Cheryl J on May 14, 2012
A weed is just a plant that was not intended to be where it is...

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Rebecca W on May 14, 2012
a dandiolion.

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Marsha B on May 15, 2012
It is Wild Salsify....also known as Goatsbeard : )

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Douglas Hunt on May 15, 2012
Glad you have your answer, Anita.

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Naomi R. on May 15, 2012
Re: Joann S. Yes, I had totally forgotten about the yellow flower. So glad, yes, I was racking my memory in vain.

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Rebecca D on May 28, 2012
Anita, Might have Yarrow, (picky leaves) or something close to that family. Pretty sure I had them both. I plucked em!

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Marie on Jan 12, 2015
It's a dandelion and you really don't want them in your yard. Don't blow those fluffy seeds around either. Very invasive and will cover your yard, your neighborhood and your whole town if you don't stop them!!!

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Charlene Knight on Jan 12, 2015
It may very well be Dandelions, It is a weed.

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Anna Garris on Jan 12, 2015
dandelion

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Lynette daugherty on Apr 05, 2015
Not a dandelion..the leaves are long and piercing and the seeds are like umbrellas I think its a milk weed..depends on where you found it. I grew up with them on the plains of Montana

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Reggie on Jun 05, 2015
Break the stem. If it is milky inside, it is probley milkweed.

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TinaG on Jun 05, 2015
My first thought was Dandelions that I saw out West but the "leaves" remind me of Allium. Could be!

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Marge on Jun 19, 2015
Look up Goats Beard.

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JustSue on Jun 19, 2015
Right Marge...it looks like Western Goat's Beard. http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/weedguid/goatsbrd.htm

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Paula Edmonds on Aug 13, 2015
Milk weed...in the late 50's there was a craft of spraying them with hair spray and then spraying them lightly with spray paint...they were pretty.

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Paula Edmonds on Aug 13, 2015
forgot to say...they made flower arrangements with them.

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Loreata Meredith-Saenz on May 21, 2016
Does it have thorny stems and on the undersides of the leaves? If so, it is what my mother called milk thistle. We would pull them up and feed to our ducks. They love the thorns.

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Ali6463307 on May 21, 2016
Marge - if this isn't a dandelion (weed) !

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- Marge on May 22, 2016
  @Alisam7 Its Goats Beard, they are a lot taller and the leaves are way different than a dandelion. and they are considered a weed!
  
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Gloria on Aug 12, 2016
I totally agree with Alisam and Marge. It describes the dandelion perfectly. When they're in the flowering stage, many people pick and cook the dandelion greens and eat them. I haven't, so you might want to do some research.

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Gale on Sep 11, 2016
Dandelion

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Jeanne Dunham on Sep 19, 2016
Dandelion

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Jeanne Dunham on Sep 19, 2016
Dandelion

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Pauline on Sep 20, 2016
Dandelion. We used to make wishes with them.

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Pat on Oct 25, 2016
Definitely a Dandelion .... a pesky weed!!!! Finally getting rid of all but a few on our 2 acres .... after 19 years!!

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Holly Lengner - Lost Mom on Jan 21, 2021

https://youhadmeatgardening.com/best-plant-identification-app/#:~:text=%20Top%20free%20plant%20identification%20app%20picks%20,1%20PlantNet%202%20iNaturalist%203%20PlantSnap%20More%20

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