Marestail (Conyza canadensis)
Description: An annual plant reaching 1'-6' in height. Mature plants have a single erect stem terminating in a horse-tail like, much branched flower cluster.
Life cycle: Winter or summer annual.
Habitat: Crop Fields, pastures, orchards, fallow fields, roadsides and waste areas.
Leaf: Young plants appear as a circle of leaves before stem elongation. Young leaves may be up to 4" long, alternately arranged, and crowded along stem. Leaves become progressively smaller up the stem.
Stem: Single, unbranched stem, Solid and bristly hairy, reaching 6.5' in height. Dead "skeleton" stems can persist along roadsides or in fields throuhgout the dormant season.
Flower: A much-branched flower cluster is produced at the top of the central stem. Individual flowers are 5 mm in diameter and inconspicuous.
Root: Short taproot with a secondary fibrous root system.
The problem is….marestail is competitive, can interfere with harvest, reduce crop yield and may be resistant to multiple classes of herbicides. A very problematic weed in crop production.
