Ontario Weeds: Meadow goat's beard

Table of Contents

1. Name
2. Other Names
3. Family
4. General Description
   • Photos and Pictures
5. Stems and Leaves
6. Flowers and Fruit
7. Habitat
8. Related Links

Name: Meadow goat's-beard, Tragopogon pratensis L.,

Other Names: Johnny-go-to-bed-at-noon, Meadow salsify, Yellow goat's-beard. salsifis des prés, salsifis sauvage

Family: Composite or Aster Family (Compositae) 

General Description: Very similar to Goat's-beard in appearance and growth habit.

Photos and Pictures

Meadow goat's beard. A. Top of flowering stem.

B. Mature "seed" head.

C. 1 "seed".

Stems & Leaves: Stem leaves taper more quickly into long, slender, curled tips, and often have crisped or wrinkled margins. And the stalk immediately below the flower head is abruptly narrowed to normal stem thickness, and is not hollow.

Flowers & Fruit: Brighter yellow (canary yellow) florets surrounded by usually only 8 green involucral bracts which are about as long as or shorter than the florets.

Habitat: It occurs throughout Ontario in the same habitats as Goat's-beard.

Related Links

... on general Weed topics
... on weed identification, order OMAFRA Publication 505: Ontario Weeds
... on weed control, order OMAFRA Publication 75: Guide To Weed Control

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