This information courtesy
of the Colorado Natural Areas Program
Family:
Asteraceae (Sunflower)
Other Names:
garden tansy, golden buttons
USDA Code:
TAVU
Legal Status:
Colorado Noxious Weed List B
IDENTIFICATION
Lifecycle:
Perennial
Growth form:
forb/herbaceous
Flower:
Yellow
flowers are numerous in flat-topped dense clusters at the
tops of the plants. Buttonlike flower heads lack ray
flowers. Flowering typically occurs from July to September.
Seeds/Fruit:
Seeds are yellowish brown achenes with short, five-toothed
crowns.
Leaves: Leaves
are alternate, deeply divided into numerous narrow,
individual leaflets.
Stems: Mature
plants are 1.5 to 6 feet tall. Stems are often purplish-red
in color and extensively branched towards the top
Roots:
Rhizomatous.
Seedling:
Other:
Foliage
emits a strong odor when crushed.
IMPACTS
Agricultural:
Common tansy is considered undesirable forage for livestock.
The plant is considered toxic; fortunately animals rarely
ingest it as it is very unpalatable. Common tansy came
impact forage quality and quantity.
Ecological:
With adequate moisture common tansy will displace native and
other desirable species.
Human: Can be
toxic if large quantities are consumed.
HABITAT AND
DISTRIBUTION
General
requirements: Common tansy is commonly found along
roadsides, stream and irrigation ditch banks, in waste
places, ornamental beds and in pastures. It grows best in
full sun and on fertile, well-drained soil.
Distribution:
Found throughout the United States.
Historical:
Common tansy is a native of Europe that was introduced into
North America as an ornamental and medicinal herb (Whitson
et al. 1996). It has been used over the centuries for
treating various ailments and as an insect repellent.
BIOLOGY/ECOLOGY
Life cycle:
Perennial
Mode of
reproduction: Reproduces by both seed and creeping
rootstocks.
Seed
production: listed as "prolific"
Seed bank:
viability period unknown
Dispersal:
Spread by seed movement, roots in infested topsoil and
occasionally is found for sale (in violation with Colorado
statute).
INTEGRATED
MANAGEMENT SUMMARY
As with other
rhizomatous perennials, mechanical controls such as mowing
or hand cutting (Gloves and other protective clothing is
recommended when pulling or handling common tansy, as the
toxins can be absorbed through the skin) are most effective
in combination with other methods.
Plants can
sprout from severed roots, and cut stems may still produce
viable seed. Control the spread of common tansy by
preventing seed production and dispersal, minimizing the
spread of cut rootstocks, and establishing healthy stands of
desirable species on controlled areas.
Grazing areas
with common tansy is not discouraged literature, but should
be supervised closely to avoid "overuse" of
desirable plants and to prevent stock from consuming a
potentially harmful amount of common tansy.
CONTROL
CEPEP
Weed Profile
REFERENCES
Colorado
Natural Areas Program. 2000. Creating an
Integrated Weed Management Plan: A Handbook for Owners and
Managers of Lands with Natural Values. Colorado
Natural Areas Program, Colorado State Parks, Colorado
Department of Natural Resources; and Division of Plant
Industry, Colorado Department of Agriculture. Denver,
Colorado. 349 pages.
Dow
AgroSciences. 1998. Common tansy-biennials/perennials. Dow
AgroSciences. The Ranch, Pasture Improvement. Available:
http://www.dowagro.com/theranch/weedres.htm
LeCain, R.
& Sheley, R., Montana State University Extension Service
(12/2002). Common tansy (Tanacetum vulgare).
(Publication No. MT199911 AG) Retrieved October 18, 2005
from http://www.montana.edu/wwwpb/pubs/mt9911.pdf
Whitson,
T.D.(ed.), L.C. Burrill, S.A. Dewey, D.W. Cudney, B.E.
Nelson, R.D. Lee, R. Parker. 1996. Common tansy. Weeds of
the West. Western Society of Weed Science, in
cooperation with the Western United States Land Grant
Universities Cooperative Extension Services, Newark CA. pg.
184
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