MSUE greenback.gif (10644 bytes)

 

ROADWEEDS OF THE UPPER PENINSULA


White or Really Pale Flowers 

    An alien (or exotic species)             Can be easily seen while driving        More information


Fleabane1.jpg (29912 bytes)
May-July

Common Name:  Fleabane                                                        
Latin Name: 
Erigeron spp.     
Family: 
Compositae          

Fleabane is the size of an aster, with more petals, with the coloration of a daisy.  They usually bloom before the asters and have much smaller flowers than daisies.  Flowers of some species run toward the pink and lavendar colors, like asters.  The center of the flowers are yellow, like daisies.    


Daisy1.jpg (21508 bytes)
May-Oct

Common Name:  Ox-eye Daisy                                
Latin Name: 
Chrysanthemum leucanthemum                 
Family: 
Compositae          

Daisies may be one of the best known flowers in Michigan.  However, few of us would probably guess that it is an exotic from Europe.   The showy flowers of white and yellow are easily recognized.   The plants stand 1-3 feet tall and often occur in colonies.


QAlace1.jpg (86436 bytes)
June-Sept

Common Name:  Queen-Anne's Lace                           
Latin Name: 
Daucus carota                 
Family: 
Umbelliferae          

Queen-Anne's Lace is another very common roadside flower across Michigan but is an exotic from Europe.  Many tiny flowers make up the flower head, which is shaped like an umbrella.  Often, in the middle of the flower head, there is a single purple flower.  The plant may grow to be over three feet tall.  The leaves are very lacy.


Strawberry1.jpg (47961 bytes)
April-June

Common Name:  Strawberry     
Latin Name: 
Fragaria virginiana  
Family: 
Rosaceae          

Wild strawberry is a small, white-petaled flower that often goes unnoticed.  The plant rarely grows more that six inches tall.   Individuals frequently have runners that might go over three feet.  The bright red, but quite small, strawberries ripen in July.  They are very tasty.   Occasionally, confused flowers may bloom as late as September.


SweetClover1.jpg (27427 bytes)
July-Sept

Common Name:  Sweet Clover                                
Latin Name: 
Melilotus alba                 
Family: 
Leguminosae          

Sweet clover spikes are tall and lanky, usually growing in fairly thick colonies along our roadsides.  The plant often reaches heights of over five feet tall.  The flower spikes might be as long as 7 or 8 inches.   The small leaves are in three-parts and are clover-looking.    


August-Sept

Common Name:  White Clover                              
Latin Name: 
Trifolium repens                
Family: 
Leguminosae    

Like most Michigan clovers, white clover is an exotic from Europe and has long been used as a forage crop in agriculture.  This is the species that might most often be seen in lawns.  It is a short plant, usually just a few inches tall.


Roadweeds Home Page


This website was constructed by Bill Cook. If you have questions or comments about the information on this page, contact Bill

Michigan State University programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, or family status.