Invasive snapdragon relative confirmed spreading along Anchorage roadside
iNaturalist: crobsauce
Invasive Species
If you garden anywhere near Anchorage, this yellow-flowered escapee spreads by aggressive underground roots and can crowd out native plants and vegetable beds alike, so a roadside sighting like this one is worth a second look in your own yard.
Someone out for a walk on Raspberry Road in Anchorage spotted a patch of common toadflax, sometimes called 'butter and eggs' for its snapdragon-like yellow and orange flowers, and photographed it well enough for experts to confirm the identification. It's a pretty plant, but it's not native to Alaska and tends to spread aggressively through underground rhizomes, which is why naturalists keep an eye on where it turns up.
Key Findings
Observation reached 'research grade' status on iNaturalist, meaning the identification was confirmed by community consensus
Location recorded as Raspberry Road, Anchorage, Alaska
Species is Linaria vulgaris (common toadflax), a non-native plant known for aggressive rhizomatous spread
chevron_right Technical Summary
A citizen scientist spotted and confirmed common toadflax, a fast-spreading invasive plant, growing along a roadside in Anchorage, Alaska, adding a verified data point to tracking maps for this weedy species in the region.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
common toadflax (Linaria vulgaris) observed in Raspberry Rd, Anchorage, AK, US
Research-grade observation of common toadflax in Raspberry Rd, Anchorage, AK, US.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
Was this useful?
Want to tell us more? (optional)
Thanks for the note!
Something went wrong — please try again.
Too many submissions. Try again in an hour.
Street trees cut heat deaths by 39 percent in European cities
Trees in your local park or street aren't just pretty — they are literally keeping people alive during heatwaves, and planting even a modest number of the ri...
Linaria vulgaris, the common toadflax, is a species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae, native to Europe, and northern, central and eastern Asia. It has also been introduced to North America and is now common there.