This Foul-Named Weed Is Killing Off Bluebonnets And Other Texas Wildflowers

This past weekend my wife and I drove to Dallas to spend time with family and to experience the solar eclipse in the path of totality. As we were driving to Dallas, we enjoyed seeing some of Texas' great wildflowers, including Bluebonnets once we hit Sweetwater.

As we got closer to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex we saw more and more wildflowers and a lot of this goldish flower that seemed to be everywhere. On Sunday we drove around the metroplex a bit more and noticed that areas that once was all fields or strips of land off the highway filled with bluebonnets years ago, now had been almost over taken by yellow flowers.

The culprit isn't a wildflower, though it may look like one. Instead, it is an invasive plant that according to KVUE, poses a real threat to our native wildflowers.

Meet the bastard cabbage. It thrives on roadsides and large areas, just like the bluebonnet. But the bastard cabbage is tall and it spreads fast. This means is blocks out the sun for shorter, more native wildflowers. According to chron.com, the weed can "monopolize sunshine, soil moisture, and nutrients". The weed is a member of the mustard family and is native to Eurasia and some parts of Africa. It's found in 16 other states other than Texas.

And the experts say it's a real threat to the survival of Texas wildflowers.

Get our free mobile app

The good news is that if the plant is removed, including the taproot and more wildflower seeds are planted, the wildflowers can come back strong. But that won't happen at every roadside stop or large field.

Enjoy the large areas of bluebonnets while you can. Sadly, they may be overtaken in the years to come.