hoary alyssum

Berteroa incana (L.) DC

Appearance: Berteroa incana is an annual, biennial, or perennial in the mustard family growing 1-3 ft. (0.3-0.9 m) tall.
Foliage: Stems are gray-green and hairy with many branches near the top. Alternate leaves are gray-green, hairy, alternate, oblong, narrow, 0.5-3 in. (1.3-7.6 cm) long, with smooth edges.
Flowers: White flowers with 4 deeply divided petals are produced in long raceme.
Fruit: Seed pods are hairy, swollen, and oblong with short beaks on the end. Oblong seeds are rough, dull gray-brown. It reproduces and spreads by seeds.
Ecological Threat: Spreads rapidly due to the high number of seeds per plant. The plant emerges early in spring and continues to flower and produce seed until frost. It can cause toxicity to horses.

Plant(s) Many plants
John M. Randall, The Nature Conservancy, Bugwood.org
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Infestation Large patch
John M. Randall, The Nature Conservancy, Bugwood.org
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Flower(s) photo taken 3 July 1994
Catherine Herms, The Ohio State University, Bugwood.org
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Flower(s) Flowers
John M. Randall, The Nature Conservancy, Bugwood.org
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