Beware the Ox-Eye !

[DARK30]

This flower showed up with a mixture of wildflower seed I planted a few years ago. Now I'm having trouble getting rid of it! After looking it up, I learned it is an invasive plant. Beware the Ox-Eye Daisy!

I'm even trying to smother some of it with tarps its so thick. I'll spray and dig the rest . Should have some nice clean dirt to plant something else

[reinhard1]

we have that daisy near the road by our house. so far none of those made it up around the house. i mow that area down there and actualy felt guilty when i had to mow them when the moved into the cutting area. but you are right they do spread. good luck.

[SkunkedAgain]

It's not native but it does not pose an ecological threat.

[skunk-ape]

An invasive non native plant such as ox-eye daisy is an ecological threat as it can displace native species. There is a Minnesota native plant that also goes by the name ox-eye daisy but it has yellow flowers and the latin name is Heliopsis Helianthoides.

It amazes me that with all the problems we have with invasives there are still places that sell "wildflower" mixes with this plant and some that are far worse.

[SkunkedAgain]

The garlic that I planted in the fall displaced native species. So did the grass that someone planted at the house that I now own. Displacingg native plant species does not automatically throw a plant onto the danger list. I'm not advocating that people shouldn't care, but there are many cherished "invasive non-native" fish/plants/animals in Minnesota. IMO, this isn't one to get too alarmed about.

[reinhard1]

i'm not a plant expert but the ox-eye on my property have been in one location for years. they have spread a little in that area but not to any great extent. my neighbors dont have any at all. they seem to like sun with partial shade, for there are none with full sun that i can see. i actualy like them. i dont know how they got there in the first place for i have never put seeds of any kind there. i have more problem with the bamboo. that stuff spreads and and is hard to control. good luck.

[skunk-ape]

As I said, there are plants that are far worse than the white ox-eye and what may be invasive for one person may not be for another. I guess the point is to know what you're planting. Plants like ox-eye are included in some mixes because they are so vigorous and easily grown which are the same traits that lead them to be invasive in some areas.

A couple of other plants to look out for in some of these mixes that are far worse are crown vetch and birds foot trefoil. Crown vetch can form a complete monoculture and exclude all other plants.

The completely native wildflower mixes take some time and patience to look good but IMO its worth the effort.

[SkunkedAgain]

I can agree with that!

[Steve Foss]

You skunk guys sure do stick together.

[machohorn]

Once it is dead burn the area with one of those big propane torch;s. You may be killing the plant bit not the seeds, burning them will kill them, I had crab grass bad in one area and that finaly did the job on that.