(vanity) Would some FReeper please help identify this $%^&^ing weed?

Marty's backyard | 6/18/11 | ol' marty

[jespasinthru]

It looks a lot like the wild purple coneflowers that grow here in Florida. It makes pretty purple flowers in late summer, and hard seed pods in the fall. Birds eat the seeds and crap them all over Creation, so just about everybody in this area has at least one in their yard somewhere. The old folks say it’s medicinal, that you can brew the flowers in a tea and it wards off colds by boosting the immune system. I’m not saying that’s what you have, but it sure looks like it.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

What does it taste like if you put ketchup on it?

[abb]

[SunkenCiv]

it’s not lightning, but...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2736647/posts?page=39#39

[martin_fierro]

For how long have you been suffering from that stiffness in your left wrist?

These are the painful bodily contortions I go through in my quest for knowledge here @ FR.

You're welcome.

[RandallFlagg]

Hope it's not a Triffid.

[dfwgator]

Heracleum Mantegazziani

a/k/a Giant Hogweed

[TheOldLady]

Yeah! I could use some flamethrower ZOT graphics.

[martin_fierro]

Well it only took two + years, but thanks to my eight year-old niece whose class was pressed into service to remove these damn weeds -- from somewhere other than my yard, wise guy -- I now have an identification:

Genista monspessulana, aka "French Broom"

They suck.

[martin_fierro]

Thanks to my Very Clever Niece for her help. <3 <3 <3

[smokingfrog]

Those Damn French broomers!

There are probably still some seed pods about, so you’ll need to keep an eye on things and nip it in the bud if any plants start to reappear.

The herbicide 2,4-D, alone or with additives such as diquat, picloram, dicamba, and sodium chlorate, has been used to control French broom. Not all of these herbicides are registered for use in California. French broom seedlings are least resistant to auxin-minimizing herbicides such as 2,4-D at the four- to six-inch (10-15 cm) size. Chemical removal alone results in standing dead biomass, which makes monitoring for and treatment of broom seedlings difficult. Standing dead biomass also presents a fire hazard.

http://www.cal-ipc.org/ip/management/ipcw/pages/detailreport.cfm@usernumber=52&surveynumber=182.php

Now if we could just get rid of some of those invasive California politicians .......

[smokingfrog]

http://xbox360media.gamespy.com/xbox360/image/object/142/14222038/flamethrower.jpg

[Revolting cat!]

Harvest it, dry it, roll it, and smoke it to find out!

[a fool in paradise]

Dill weed?

[mikrofon]

Genista Monspessulana e.g. is an unpleasant Moss

[TheOldLady]

Cool! I mean, HOT! Thank you, Sir.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Cute kid, and smart too... are you sure you’re related?