# What kind of weed is this? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 4, 2010, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weed-is-this/552635 "2010-09-04T23:13:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weed-is-this/552635/1 "2010-09-04T23:13:59Z")
I have a weed that’s growing in my backyard in Maryland. It stands about 4 feet tall and the flowering part looks a bit like cotton. I have photos [here](http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1431076144#!/album.php?aid=2085338&id=1431076144), that I hope works. They’re on my facebook page but I’ve made it visible to everyone so I hope it works. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weed-is-this/552635/2 "2010-09-04T23:33:09Z")
I don’t know, but for starters I’ll guess [hawkbit](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawkbit). ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2010, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weed-is-this/552635/3 "2010-09-05T02:07:39Z")
[Common groundsel (Senecio vulgaris)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senecio_vulgaris) On second thought, maybe not. I swear I’ve seen this stuff in my yard but the map shows it’s native range in North Africa and Northern Europe. But it sure looks like it. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2010, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weed-is-this/552635/4 "2010-09-05T11:30:45Z")
Well the white part is more like a cotton ball, though not as tightly packed, then a dandelion. And as I said it stands a good 4 feet tall. That’ll teach me not to go out back. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2010, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weed-is-this/552635/5 "2010-09-05T11:45:51Z")
I’ve been told that people may not be able to see my photos even if it’s viewable by everyone. So [here it is again.](http://picasaweb.google.com/103232017680649023172/MehnFamily?authkey=Gv1sRgCIrRmu-9mfbm7gE#5513393532513159970) ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weed-is-this/552635/6 "2010-09-05T13:25:33Z")
I have some of those too! I figured they were mutant dandelions. Common groundsel looks pretty close in terms of the look, but Wiki says its height is 4 to 16 inches. Mine are taller than I am - our backyard needs a napalm treatment. (We just bought this house, and we haven’t gotten to the gardening part of our fixing-upping yet.) ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2010, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weed-is-this/552635/7 "2010-09-05T13:33:43Z")
Sorry to double-post, but I just found this and I think it may be a good match. [Sow thistle](http://www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca/Default.aspx?DN=50e2a2e9-95bf-4bf4-90f2-606a3001902d). A google image search brings up stuff that look a lot like my backyard monsters. It says its roots penetrate 1.5 to 3 meters! Those bastards will be hard to kill, if this is what they are! ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weed-is-this/552635/8 "2010-09-05T18:00:33Z")
I don’t think it’s sow thistle. Sow thistles are pretty distinctive (like uglier dandelions, with a darker, more purply hue) and very common. Though they can grow tall, they’re very robust when they do, with thick stems. All of the suggestions are in the aster family. If you google “dandelion-like weeds” you’ll find a number of possibilities. [Prickly lettuce](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactuca_serriola) is another relative, very similar to a sow thistle but I think a bit more like the mystery weed. ---
**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2010, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weed-is-this/552635/9 "2010-09-05T18:14:39Z")
Bummer. Saw “weed” in the title and got excited. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2010, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weed-is-this/552635/10 "2010-09-05T18:38:53Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > [Common groundsel (Senecio vulgaris)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senecio_vulgaris) > > On second thought, maybe not. I swear I’ve seen this stuff in my yard but the map shows it’s native range in North Africa and Northern Europe. But it sure looks like it. That’s its _native_ range - if you look further down, you see where it’s currently growing (i.e. EVERYFREAKINGWHERE). I’ve got this shit in my yard, and I try to pull it out before it self-seeds (except one area under the spruce where I’ve left it alone - I think that’s a mistake and will have to go pull it). ---
**Author:** ![Bewildebeest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Bewildebeest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bewildebeest)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weed-is-this/552635/11 "2010-09-06T03:16:32Z")
I don’t think it is a composite. I think it is a variety of milkweed, but have no idea which one. Is the seed at the bottom of the fluff, or in the center? ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weed-is-this/552635/12 "2010-09-06T11:13:08Z")
> [@Bewildebeest](#): > > I don’t think it is a composite. I think it is a variety of milkweed, but have no idea which one. > > Is the seed at the bottom of the fluff, or in the center? You’ll have to let me look at it later.