Texas weed?

[Reyes Vargas]

Does anybody know what this weed is?  I noticed this weed years back.  This weed has a very pungent order.  You will smell the weed long before you will be able to see it.  It used to cover a lot of my yard but I reduced it by literally getting on my hands and knees taking the weed out and putting in a bag to discard.  I'm pretty sure this is an invasive weed.  When you step on it mow it it spreads the pungent smell and makes my head hurt.

[Silas_Sancona]

39 minutes ago, Reyes Vargas said:

Does anybody know what this weed is?  I noticed this weed years back.  This weed has a very pungent order.  You will smell the weed long before you will be able to see it.  It used to cover a lot of my yard but I reduced it by literally getting on my hands and knees taking the weed out and putting in a bag to discard.  I'm pretty sure this is an invasive weed.  When you step on it mow it it spreads the pungent smell and makes my head hurt.

W/ out flowers, will be tough to narrow down the possibilities completely but we've got a few weedy non native Composites ( Sunflower family ) and Carrot/ Parsley family that have similar looking foliage, stink as you describe, and spread rapidly if allowed to.. 

[Reyes Vargas]

I think I found out what it is.  Lepidium didymum lesser swine-cress.  As I suspected it is introduced and very difficult or impossible to eradicate.

Edited April 15, 2021 by Reyes Vargas

[Silas_Sancona]

14 minutes ago, Reyes Vargas said:

I think I found what it is.  Lepidium didymum lesser swine-cress.  As I suspected it is introduced and very difficult or impossible to eradicate.

Looks like it.  Uprooting it before it flowers/ goes to seed  is probably the best way to keep in under control.  Looks like it is eaten as a vegetable / supposedly used medicinally to treat numerous things inc. gangrene and cancer.
https://www.brickfieldspark.org/data/lesserswinecress.htm

http://www.eattheweeds.com/coronopus-didymussquamatus-smelly-pot-herbs-2/

[Reyes Vargas]

I wouldn't mind the weed if it wasn't only for how bad it smells.  Every time I cut the grass or just step on it the smell travels for at least 20 feet farther away if it's windy.  I remember when I was young I used to like how freshly mowed lawn would smell, not so much anymore.

[Silas_Sancona]

3 minutes ago, Reyes Vargas said:

I wouldn't mind the weed if it wasn't only for how bad it smells.  Every time I cut the grass or just step on it the smell travels for at least 20 feet farther away if it's windy.  I remember when I was young I used to like how freshly mowed lawn would smell, not so much anymore.

Agree, If it stinks as bad as Pineapple Weed or Stink Net, mowing over it would not be enjoyable. There's some natives here and in CA. that smell like cough medicine when you crush the leaves. Neat plants, but smell makes my stomach turn.

[Reyes Vargas]

You know it smells bad when both cats and dogs like rolling on it.

[Silas_Sancona]

4 minutes ago, Reyes Vargas said:

You know it smells bad when both cats and dogs like rolling on it.

LOL.. Mine will sit in the only part of the yard where there are no weeds, just sand.. Strangely likes the smell of Creosote bush and will try to nip at it when i bring some home too.

[Fusca]

This thread reminded me of an interesting weed (Silybum marianum) I found in the yard a couple of years ago.  I thought it was rather attractive other than the fact that it was a thistle!  I even stuck it in a pot for awhile to see if it would flower.  No bad smell thankfully!

 

[Silas_Sancona]

6 minutes ago, Fusca said:

This thread reminded me of an interesting weed (Silybum marianum) I found in the yard a couple of years ago.  I thought it was rather attractive other than the fact that it was a thistle!  I even stuck it in a pot for awhile to see if it would flower.  No bad smell thankfully!

 

Milk Thistle.. So many memories getting thorns of it out of my hands / feet when catching Lizards/ snakes as a kid.. That " tame " looking plant gets 6-8ft tall in California, lol.

[Reyes Vargas]

4 minutes ago, Fusca said:

This thread reminded me of an interesting weed (Silybum marianum) I found in the yard a couple of years ago.  I thought it was rather attractive other than the fact that it was a thistle!  I even stuck it in a pot for awhile to see if it would flower.  No bad smell thankfully!

 

That is a nice thistle.  I like the variegated look.  That is a small flower for a thistle.  The ones here are flowing right now but are white and huge.  They are growing right along the road.

[Fusca]

1 minute ago, Reyes Vargas said:

That is a nice thistle.  I like the variegated look.  That is a small flower for a thistle.  The ones here are flowing right now but are white and huge.  They are growing right along the road.

The variegation is what I found attractive when I first saw it.  I know which white flowers you are talking about.  They are almost worth having in the yard just for the flower, but not quite worth it!

6 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

That " tame " looking plant gets 6-8ft tall in California

I didn't let this guy get very big and good thing - I didn't realize it could get that tall!

[Reyes Vargas]

5 minutes ago, Fusca said:

They are almost worth having in the yard just for the flower, but not quite worth it!

I really do think they are worth planting.  The flowers are beautiful at least to my eye, almost looks like a poppy.  Yes they are a little prickly but so are yucca and we still plant those.

[Silas_Sancona]

4 minutes ago, Fusca said:

 

I didn't let this guy get very big and good thing - I didn't realize it could get that tall!

They're not too bad to remove when green but once dried out.. Better to just torch them into oblivion if you can, lol. Cardoon ( looks like a wild, weedy version of Artichoke ) are even thornier, but don't get quite as tall as Milk Thistle.

[JohnAndSancho]

The title of this thread was very misleading 

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, Reyes Vargas said:

I really do think they are worth planting.  The flowers are beautiful at least to my eye, almost looks like a poppy.  Yes they are a little prickly but so are yucca and we still plant those.

Prickly Poppy ( Argemone ) are great natives that require very little care once established. In CA., we have both native prickly Poppies, and a similar looking, but prickle-free species, Romneya coulteri that is just as care free, heat/cold tolerant though i'm not sure how it would handle humidity there in TX. Spectacular when in flower.

[Keys6505]

Off topic but only slightly..  when I used to live in NJ they had Giant Hogweed which is a super irritant but looks freaking awesome.  If someone can figure out how to CRISPR these things to remove the toxins they'd be one of the best tropical looking annuals for colder climates out there period.

This is a stock image but these kids are F'd btw.  If you Google the plant you'll see the boils and blisters it causes and these kids are all but rolling in it.

[Palmensammler]

Here in Germany you must inform the local authorities if you detect this plant. They will professionally eridicate it.  Too many people got hurt. It's a weed here too.

Eckhard