This beauty with the yellow flowers has survived the snows, heat, humidity, and what ever else nature has thrown at her, blooming along the way for some months now. Do you know what this plant is?
If I ask this before, forgive. I forgot and can't find it.
It is a member of the Cabbage family, maybe Kale, Broccoli or Collards.
Are the leaves thick and almost hairless or hairless?
Or thin with slightly prickly hairs?
If the latter, it is a mustard of some sort. It brings up memories of seeing thousands of these blooming under the trees in orchards and fields in winter all over the SF Bay Area. Now the area is full of houses and businesses.
I thought of mustard too, but the leaves have a blue tint and seem smooth, but sometimes a picture can be deceiving as to shades of color.
Ooops ~ wrong again!
This message was edited Feb 22, 2010 11:45 AM
I think it is a wildflower called 'Mustard Weed'. I can't find its botanical name. Its leaves are broad and close to the ground shielding other wildflower seeds from sunlight. They grow like weeds, too. I had a wildflower field in Austin and the darn things took over even the Mexican Hats. They are pretty, though.
wed get a lot of wild mustard in the fields when I was going up in Oh... the dairy cattle loved it and they ate it like it was going out of style..it would sometimes make their milk a pale yellow
Maybe Rapistrum rugosum....invasive in many areas...I've seen areas of it in disturbed soil.
http://www.nps.gov/plants/ALIEN/fact/raru1.htm
Linda's link was a hoot! Need a better day to run out and look at the plant to see if it fits the description.
As a clue, I through out all my raw veg leavings right out of the kitchen door, on top of the mulch. Never have a problem doing that but presume birds, dogs, etc., scatter seeds. I thought for a while that this is broccoli but have changed my mind. Never have a problem doing that but presume birds, dogs, etc., scatter seeds. I thought for a while that this is brocolli but have changed my mind.
And Mexican Hats! I really laughed over that one. Those are one of my favorite as they grew at my Grandparent's place. Outside of the rose garden GM had and a single old gardenia and lone hydrangea, that was it, except for the great and good veg garden. Maybe raising food, a clutch of chickens, a mule or two and lots of kids didn't leave time for "Fine Gardening".
Ya'll are the best. Thanks to everyone.
Yes, it looks like Rapistrum rugosum which is blooming here now. Without a close shot of the leaves, I am not totally positive.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/152452/index.html
Several plants have similar blooms and leaves. It might be Canola, Oil Seed Rape, Canadian Turnip, Rutabaga, Swede, Swedish Turnip, Yellow Turnip (Brassica napus). It is not a Texas native; however, its seeds are in birdseed mixtures. It does not grow as tall and wide as Rapistrum rugosum. It comes up all over my neighborhood.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/63753/
Field Mustard [Brassica rapa) has similar blooms; however, it has hairy leaves.
If one needs to identify/find info about other yellow blooming native plants, some can be found here:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/528705/
This message was edited Mar 3, 2010 1:20 AM
Thank you all for the great links and thoughtful replys.
Wanted to post a couple of pics of the smooth leaves and the brocolli looking flowers.
2nd pic
last one
So, do you think it is broccoli after all?
It look's like it the Brassicaceacea Brassica Napus as seen by htop link.
Looks like I'd better pull this one up.
