Prickly toxic weed spotted growing wild in Texas suburb
iNaturalist: animebirder
Invasive Species
If you garden in Texas and see a knee-high plant with yellow flowers and spiky burs, this is the one to pull before it seeds and spreads through your yard or pasture.
Buffalo-bur is a spiky, sprawling weed with cheerful yellow flowers that hides sharp thorns on its stems and fruit. Someone walking their neighborhood in Cedar Park, Texas spotted one growing along the roadside and logged it on iNaturalist, where other naturalists confirmed the identification. It's originally from the Great Plains and Mexico but now turns up as an uninvited guest in yards and vacant lots across much of the country.
Key Findings
Observation was verified as 'research-grade' on iNaturalist, meaning multiple observers confirmed the species ID
Located along Prize Oaks Dr in Cedar Park, Texas, a suburban residential area
Buffalo-bur is a spiny nightshade relative that is toxic to livestock and a known host for Colorado potato beetle
chevron_right Technical Summary
A citizen scientist documented a spiny, yellow-flowered weed called buffalo-bur growing in a Cedar Park, Texas neighborhood, confirming this prickly, toxic plant's presence in local suburban habitat.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
buffalo-bur (Solanum rostratum) observed in Prize Oaks Dr, Cedar Park, TX, US
Research-grade observation of buffalo-bur in Prize Oaks Dr, Cedar Park, TX, US.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
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Solanum rostratum is a species of nightshade that is native to the United States and northern and central Mexico. Common names include buffalobur nightshade, buffalo-bur, spiny nightshade, Colorado bur, Kansas thistle, bad woman, Mexican thistle, and Texas thistle.