Submodule 5: Most Common Western Rangelands Weeds

Dalmatian Toadflax

Dalmatian toadflax (Linaria dalmatica) is a perennial forb that can grow to a height of about 4 ft (1.8 m) on an erect stem. Environmental factors such as lack of water can limit growth to less than one meter. It has waxy, green leaves that are 1-3 in (2.5-7.5 cm) long and heart-shaped. No petiole (leaf stem) attaches them to the main plant stem; instead, they appear to wrap around its base. After germination in mid-May, the biennial plants produce small shoots that survive over the winter and start to grow early the next spring. Mature plants have extensive root systems from which new plants sprout. At lower elevations of the intermountain West, Dalmatian toadflax shoots emerge as early as mid-March. Flowers are yellow and may have a touch of red and orange. They are about 1-1.5 in (2.5-4 cm) long, including a small spur at the tip, and are often mistaken for snapdragons. Plants flower by mid-summer and continue into the fall.

(photo courtesy Larry Howery)