Eupatorium capillifolium
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| Eupatorium capillifolium (Lam.) Small |
Eupatorium capillifolium (dogfennel) is a perennial weed in the family Asteraceae, found commonly in North America. It is generally between 50 cm and 2 meters tall and has several stems which fork out from a substantial base.[1] The stems and base are covered in leaves so dissected that they resemble green hairs coming out of the stem in fractal patterns. When crushed, the leaves and flowers smell rather unpleasant.[1]
Cultivation and uses
Dogfennel is a roadside weed which thrives in fields and reduced tillage crops. It is native to the southern and eastern United States, from Massachusetts south to Florida, and west to Missouri and Texas.
While dogfennel has almost no value to humans, it is eaten by Florida's scarlet-bodied wasp moth. These moths feed on the plant while mature, to store its toxins and ward off predators.
Control
Dogfennel spreads by both seeds and rootstocks and can grow quite aggressively. When found growing on arable land, dogfennel has been known to degrade the quality of the soil.[2] Dogfennel contains liver-damaging pyrrolizidine alkaloids, so livestock are known to eat all the turf around a stand of it. To remove infestations of dogfennel, the recommended course of action is to mow it and apply herbicides.[2]
References
- a b Uva, Richard H; Joseph C. Neal, Joseph M. Ditomaso (1997). Weeds of The Northeast. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 140-141.
- a b Ferrell, J.A.; G.E. MacDonald. "Dogfennel (Eupatorium capillifolium): Biology and Control". University of Florida. Retrieved on 2007-02-04.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; from the article "Eupatorium capillifolium". Image Credit.
