Early Stages

Puncturevine plants will start to spring up after the first moisture of the spring and any wet periods following. The plants have one large taproot. From the taproot, stems trail and form a mat-like cover over the ground. Leaves of puncturevine form leaflets containing 5-8 oval leaves that are hairy and opposite. 

Flowering

Flowers normally occur July through October. Puncturevine’s flowers are bright yellow and contain 5 petals.

Seeding

Each flower node will produce a bur, or “goat head”, that breaks into 5 seed capsules. These capsules are the sharp, destructive part of the plant. Seed capsules of puncturevine can stay viable for up to 5 years and can cause new puncturevine plants to sprout long after the plant itself is gone.

 For more information, check out Salt Lake County’s noxious weed page for puncturevine here.