Centaurea Species, Brown Knapweed, Brownray Knapweed

According to BONAP, this species has naturalized in 31 states and 4 provinces.

The state of Washington has listed it as a ...Read MoreClass B noxious weed, and three other states list it in weed seed regulations.

All knapweeds (Centaurea sp.) have flower heads surrounded by scale-like involucral bracts. Many have bracts that are unfringed, not just brown knapweed.

Here in NW Montana, it is considered an invasive weed. It grows wild EVERYWHERE. No one in their right mind would every deliberately plan...Read Moret these. We have to eradicate them out of the lawn all the time, because the seeds from the plants along the roads and blank spaces between properties drift in and start new plants all the time. They do have beautiful flowers, just like the beautiful flowers that grow on the top of dandilions. Lovely to look at but most people don't want them growing in their yard. Oh yeah, they're really prickly to step on barefoot too.

Here's what the feds say about this plant.
"http://na.fs.fed.us/fhp/invasive_plants/weeds/brown_knapweed.pdf
There are many...Read More wonderful plants to have in your garden. why plant one that could escape into wildlands crowding out our natives or become a pest in your yard and your neighbors?
When you see the Latin name of a plant that begins w. Centaurea, you might want to check out it's invasiveness. Some of the worst pest plants belong to this genus.
I wish Dave's garden would screen out the worst invasive plants rather than advocate for them.

Introduced from Europe, Brown Knapweed can be recognized by the unfringed, scale-like bracts under the flowers.