Unfortunate Blooms

A Little Note

The Photo:

Dalmatian Toadflax, a noxious weed

The Thought:

Lovely snapdragon-like yellow flowers take over fields where we want foraging plants for wildlife and livestock; that makes them a noxious weed. These Dalmatian toadflax are also poisonous to cattle when large quantities are eaten.

Lovely, but unwanted to keep our rangeland healthy.

Two common varieties, both noxious weeds:
Dalmatian Toadflax [waxy, heart-shaped leaves]
Yellow Toadflax [thin leaves; flowers have obvious orange with yellow]

Poetry

Unfortunate Blooms

Along the road and
throughout the fields,
yellow blooms abound;
Lovely they seem
Noxious they be:
they grow and spread
and overtake
the flora of the land—
the native plants
the wildlife need,
the livestock’s feed—
the toadflax overwhelms.

Sheri Edwards
05.22.24 142.365.24
Poetry/Photography
Dalmatian Toadflax