Utah’s Noxious Weeds
Utah’s Noxious Weeds: 28 Weeds
•Bermudagrass Cynodon dactylon
•*Black henbane Hyoscyamus niger
•Canada thistle Cirsium arvense
•Dalmatian toadflax Linaria dalmatica
•Diffuse knapweed Centaurea diffusa
•Dyers woad Isatis tinctoria L.
•Field bindweed Convolvulus arvensis
•Hoary cress Cardaria Spp.
•Houndstongue Cynoglossum officinale
•Johnsongrass Sorghum halepense
•Leafy spurge Euphorbia esula
•Medusahead Taeniatherum caput-
medusae
•Musk thistle Carduus nutans
•*Ox-Eye daisy Chrysanthemum
leucanthemum
•Perennial pepperweed Lepidium
latifolium
•Perennial sorghum Sorghum halepense
L. & Sorghum almum
•Poison hemlock Conium maculatum
•Purple loosestrife Lythrum salicaria L.
•Quackgrass Agropyron repens
•Russian knapweed Centaurea repens
•Saltcedar Tamarix ramosissima
•Scotch thistle Onopordum acanthium
•Spotted knapweed Centaurea
maculosa
•Squarrose knapweed Centaurea
squarrosa
•*St. John’s wort Hypericum
perforatum
•*Sulfur cinquefoil Potentilla recta
•Yellow starthistle Centaurea
solstitialis
•*Yellow toadflax Linaria vulgaris
Additional County Listed Weeds:
•Cache: Goatsrue, Puncturvine
•Davis: Yellow nutsedge, Buffalobur
•Duchesene: Russian olive
•Salt Lake County: Garlic Mustard, Myrtle
spurge
•Uintah: Russian olive
•Emery, Grand, Utah, Wasatch: n/a
 Yellow Toadflax
Linaria vulgaris

A 1-3 foot tall perennial

with yellow flowers and
narrow leaves. Grows
in a wide range of
habitats, including
pristine meadows.
Establishes large
colonies through an
Michael Shephard, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
aggressive creeping
 Sulfur cinquefoil
Potentilla recta

A 1-3 foot tall perennial

with light yellow flowers
and hairy leaves. Impacts
rangeland and forests by
forming large monocultures
and reducing grass
production. Sulfur
cinquefoil is unpalatable to
Montana Statewide Noxious Weed Awareness and Education Program Archive,
Montana State University, Bugwood.org most wildlife and livestock.
 Black henbane
Hyoscyamus niger

A 1-3 foot tall annual

or biennial covered in
sticky hairs with a
foul odor . Grows in
pastures and waste
areas. Introduced as
an ornamental, it is
considered a narcotic
and poisonous to
humans and
Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org
 St. John’s wort
Hypericum perforatum

A 1-3 foot tall perennial

with yellow flowers.
The leaves, when held
up to the light, appear
to have pin holes in
them. Impacts
pastures and
Richard Old, XID Services, Inc., Bugwood.org
rangeland and is toxic
 Oxeye daisy
Leucanthemum vulgare

A 1-3 foot tall perennial

with white daisy like
flowers, similar to Shasta
daisy . Grows in
pastures, meadows, and
rangeland. Impacts
include decreased
forage production for
cattle and livestock.
Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte, , Bugwood.org
 Dalmatian
Toadflax
Linaria dalmatica

A 2-3 foot tall

perennial with waxy
leaves and yellow
flowers. Impacts
rangelands and
habitats with exposed
dry rocky soils by out-
competing desirable
© Mandy Tu, The Nature Conservancy; Linda Wilson, University of Idaho, Bugwood.org
 Poison hemlock
Conium maculatum

A 3-8 foot tall biennial

with white flowers,
purple spotted stems,
and ferny leaves. Can
be mistaken for wild
carrot. Found in
pastures, crops and
along ditch banks, it is
highly poisonous to
Ohio State Weed Lab Archive, Ohio State University, Bugwood.org
 Houndstongue
Cynoglossum officinale

A 1-3 foot tall biennial

with reddish flowers and
rough hairy leaves.
Burs spread long
distances by sticking to
clothing and fur.
Impacts rangeland and
pastures and is toxic to
Richard Old, XID Services, Inc., Bugwood.org
wildlife and livestock.
 Salt cedar
Tamarix ramosissima

A 12-15 foot tall shrub

with pink flowers and
salt encrusted leaves.
Impacts native plant
communities by
replacing native plants,
monopolizing water
reserves, and increasing
fire & flood frequency.
Forest & Kim Starr, U.S. Geological Survey; Richard Old, XID Services, Inc., Bugwood.org
 The
Knapweeds

Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org

Cindy Roche, Bugwood.org Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org

Spotted Diffuse Russian

Centaurea biebersteinii Centaurea diffusa Acroptilion repens
 Spotted Knapweed
Centaurea maculosa

A 4 foot tall perennial with

branching stems that
crowds out native species
therefore reducing habitat
for wildlife and livestock.
Grows in a range of
habitats from moist
riparian areas to dry rocky
Marisa Williams, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Bugwood.org
 Diffuse knapweed
Centaurea diffusa

A 1-4 foot branching

perennial, with generally
white (sometimes pink
or lavender) flowers
surrounded by fringed
bracts and a long tipped
spine. Impacts
rangeland and
grasslands by displacing
Richard old, xidservices.com
native plant species.
 Leafy Spurge
Euphorbia esula

A deep rooted perennial

with toxic properties
that is highly
competitive with native
vegetation. Grows in a
range of habitats
including pastureland,
riparian areas, and dry
rocky slopes.
(c)Barry A. Price/The Nature Conservancy; Norman E. Rees, USDA Agricultural
Research Service, Bugwood.org