| Agronomy
105's Weed ID |
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Bitter
wintercress
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| Bitter
wintercress is also often referred to as Yellow rocket. |
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It can
grow either as a winter annual or a biennial and can sometimes grow as
a perennial. However, it reproduces only by seed. This weed
is a serious problem in Indiana and to our north and west. In addition
to small grain fields this weed may also be found in roadsides and waste
areas. |
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| Bitter
wintercress is a member of the mustard family and it has bright yellow
flowers. It can be distinguished from wild mustard in that it blooms
much earlier in the season. Another way to distinguish Bitter wintercress
from Wild mustard is to look at the seed pods. |
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The outline
of the seed of Bitter wintercress cannot be seen through the pod whereas
the seed outline is visible through the pod of Wild mustard. The
lower leaves of Bitter wintercress will be lobed and will have a very large
lobe at the end of the leaf. The seed of this plant is a dull, tannish
to light brown color with a rough seed coat. Bitter wintercress can
be easily controlled by spring plowing because it seldom survives cultivation.
Mowing the weeds in May or early June is another effective means of controlling
this species. |