The lovely yellow flower decorating the roadsides this
spring has been getting a lot of press recently.
“It’s so pretty,” you might say. What’s not to like about masses of 3-foot tall plants, gently
waving little yellow blooms all along the roadside?
Turns out this flower embodies the old saying: “Beauty is only skin deep.” Or in this
case, bloom deep. And it has a name to match its unpleasant nature: bastard
cabbage (Rapistrum rugosum).
My friends, this invasive species is CROWDING OUT
BLUEBONNETS (and other native plants).That will not do.
According to TexasInvasives.org, bastard cabbage is native
to southern Europe, northern Africa and western Asia. It spreads here through grass seed mixes and mulches.
Once here, it settles right in. Its seeds germinate early in
the fall, and then form a “blanket of leafy rosettes,” which keeps sunlight
from reaching seedlings of other natives, including bluebonnets. A monoculture
can develop. The site says these grow 1 to 5 feet tall, bloom spring into
summer, and put down “robust”
taproots.
According to Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States, bastard
cabbage is found in multiple states, but is invasive only in Texas.
We noticed masses of yellow when returning from the coast a
few weeks ago, and I saw lots near Blanco this week. In fact, fellow blogger
Sheryl Smith Rogers wrote last week about attacking the bastard cabbage at
Blanco State Park.
We have seen it along FM 150 between Wimberley and
Kyle. There are a few isolated
plants toward Wimberley and in my neighborhood; it is much thicker toward the
east.
What can we do, what
can we do? According to Texas Invasives, the best method of eradication is
to yank the puppies up, and get those taproots. That should be easy. Not.
The Wildflower Research Center is working on an organic way
of dealing with this problem. Heavily seeded Indian blanket might be able to
compete with the bastard cabbage, according to a KXAN Austin news report.
My husband has been a bastard cabbage warrior in his walks
this week, yanking it up when he sees it along his path. Join him! If you see
it on or near your property, show no mercy.
And if you want, mutter or shout, “Take that, you bastard
cabbage!”
Favorite spot in the
garden:
My first favorite: At the corner of my porch, the anacacho orchid tree (Bauhinia lunarioides) is simply
stunning, covered in white blooms, with bees buzzing busily all around. This is a very good little tree for
Hays County. Just gouge out a hole in a rock somewhere, and stick it in. You
will be rewarded.
I started noticing after I read about this, and yes, it's really widespread in some areas I pass. Haven't noticed it on my property yet, but GO DAN!
ReplyDeleteWe saw a big patch in the 'hood on Sunday - on uninhabited private property.
DeleteI saw lots of these on the drive to Dallas the other day. I wondered what it was, but thought it was pretty. So sorry to hear about its bad side! I will certainly pull these up if I see any on my property! Thanks for the info.
ReplyDeleteI thought the same, Holley - now I'm horrified when I see it thick and lush!
DeleteI've noticed more and more of this Bastard...Cabbage.
ReplyDeleteNot sure what we can do on a large scale. It's very heavy along the 130 tollway, too. Acres and acres of it.
It's a shame when bad things invade.
I'll pull it up wherever I can. I haven't seen any around our place. Maybe deer like it.
That's a good thought - maybe they do!!
Deletesorry to see this happen.
ReplyDeleteMe, too!
DeleteI am not familiar with this invasive plant. It must be in other areas. We have some of our own. The field of stork's bills is lovely.
ReplyDeleteGood job spreading the word on that rude plant. Knowledge is power.
ReplyDelete