Hairy white top or ballcress (Lepidium appelianum)
Description: Perennial creeping and branching plant in the mustard family that grows up to two feet tall. Plants appear grey-green, soft, and hairy
Life Cycle: Perennial
Habitat: Open conditions, pastures, and disturbed areas. Prefers alkaline soils and very drought resistant.
Leaves: Blue-green in color,alternate, elongate, with lower leaves being stalked and upper leaves having two lobes clasping the stem. Up to 4 in. long.
Flower: Numerous tIny white flowers with four petals are borne in clusters blooms in spring.
Fruit: Tiny, roundish Inflated seeds pods are covered in fine hairs
Root: Deep, spreading root system
The problem is…hairy white top is a prolific spreader. Each plant produces 300-2000 seeds and shoots can develop from any fragment of the root system.
