Plants of Barr Lake State Park

Alfalfa /ælˈfælfə/, Medicago sativa, also called lucerne, is a perennial flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world. The English name alfalfa is widely used, particularly in North America and Australia. But in the UK, South Africa and New Zealand, the more commonly used name is lucerne. It superficially resembles clover, with clusters of small purple flowers followed by fruits spiralled in 2 to 3... less ↑

Glycyrrhiza lepidota (American Licorice) is a species of Glycyrrhiza (a genus in the pea/bean family, Fabaceae) native to most of North America, from central Canada south through the United States to California, Texas and Virginia, but absent from the southeastern states. It is also sometimes known in the United States as "wild licorice", to distinguish it from the related European Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) which is occasionally cultivated. less ↑

Robinia pseudoacacia, commonly known in its native territory as black locust, is a medium-sized deciduous tree native to the southeastern United States, but it has been widely planted and naturalized elsewhere in temperate North America, Europe, Southern Africa and Asia and is considered an invasive species in some areas. Another common name is false acacia, a literal translation of the specific name (pseudo meaning fake or false and acacia referring to t less ↑

Prunus virginiana, commonly called bitter-berry, chokecherry, Virginia bird cherry and western chokecherry (also black chokecherry for P. virginiana var. demissa), is a species of bird cherry (Prunus subgenus Padus) native to North America; the natural historic range of P. virginiana includes most of Canada (including Northwest Territories but excluding Yukon, Nunavut, and Labrador), most of the United States (inc less ↑

Urtica dioica, often called common nettle or stinging nettle (although not all plants of this species sting), is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant, native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and western North America, and is the best-known member of the nettle genus Urtica. The species is divided into six subspecies, five of which have many hollow stinging hairs called trichomes on the leaves and stems, which act like hypodermic needles, injecting histamine and other chemicals that... less ↑

Ulmus pumila, the Siberian elm, is native to Central Asia, eastern Siberia, Mongolia, Xizang (Tibet), northern China, India (northern Kashmir) and Korea. It is also known as the Asiatic Elm, Dwarf Elm and (erroneously) Chinese Elm. Two varieties are recognized: var pumila and var. arborea, the latter known as Turkestan elm. Ulmus pumila has been widely cultivated throughout Asia, the Americas and, to a lesser extent, southern Europe. less ↑

Humulus lupulus (common hop or hop) is a species of flowering plant in the Cannabaceae family, native to Europe, western Asia and North America. It is a dioecious, perennial, herbaceous climbing plant which sends up new shoots in early spring and dies back to a cold-hardy rhizome in autumn. Strictly speaking it is a bine rather than a vine, using its own shoots to act as supports for new growth. less ↑

Elaeagnus angustifolia, commonly called Russian olive, silver berry, oleaster, Persian olive, or wild olive, or commonly referred to as senjhor or sinjhor in Pakistan, sinjid in Afghanistan senjed in Iran and p'shat (փշատ) in Armenia, is a species of Elaeagnus, native to western and central Asia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, from southern Russia and Kazakhstan to Turkey and Iran. It is now also widely established less ↑

Elaeagnus commutata, the silverberry or wolf-willow, is a species of Elaeagnus native to western and boreal North America, from southern Alaska through British Columbia east to Quebec, south to Utah, and across the upper Midwestern United States to South Dakota and western Minnesota. It typically grows on dry to moist sandy and gravel soils in steppes, meadows or woodland edges. less ↑

Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed, rose milkweed, swamp silkweed, and white Indian hemp) is a herbaceous perennial plant species native to North America. It grows in damp to wet soils and also is cultivated as a garden plant for its flowers, which attract butterflies and other pollinators with nectar. Like most other milkweeds, it has sap containing toxic chemicals, a characteristic that repels insects and other herbivorous animals. less ↑

Apocynum cannabinum (Dogbane, Amy Root, Hemp Dogbane, Indian Hemp, Rheumatism Root, or Wild Cotton) is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows throughout much of North America - in the southern half of Canada and throughout the United States. It is a poisonous plant: Apocynum means "poisonous to dogs". All parts of the plant are poisonous and can cause cardiac arrest if ingested. The cannabinum in the scientific name and the common names Hemp Dogbane and Indian... less ↑

Escobaria vivipara is a species of cactus known by several common names, including spinystar, and viviparous foxtail cactus. It is native to North America, where certain varieties can be found from Mexico to Canada. Most are limited to the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. This is a small cactus growing to a maximum height of about 15 centimeters, often remaining smaller and oblong or spherical. It is densely covered in a mat of star-shaped arrays of straight... less ↑

Opuntia fragilis, known by the common names brittle prickly pear and little prickly pear, is a prickly pear cactus native to much of North America. It occurs in several Canadian provinces. It is known from farther north than any other cactus, occurring at as close as 8°south of the Arctic Circle, (58°N latitude) in Alberta. There is an isolated and possibly genetically unique population in Eastern Ontario known as the "Kaladar Cactus". less ↑

Persicaria amphibia (syn. Polygonum amphibium) is a species of flowering plant in the knotweed family known by several common names, including longroot smartweed, water knotweed, water smartweed, and amphibious bistort. It is native to much of North America, Asia, Europe, and parts of Africa, and it is known elsewhere as an introduced species and sometimes a noxious weed. less ↑

Polygonum pensylvanicum (syn. Persicaria pensylvanica) is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family, Polygonaceae. It is native to parts of North America, where it is widespread in Canada and the United States. It has also been noted as an introduced species in parts of Europe and South America. Common names include Pennsylvania smartweed and pinkweed. less ↑

Polygonum arenastrum (Common knotweed) is a summer annual weed that is native to Europe and can be found on most continents as an introduced species and a common noxious weed. Known by many other names, such as mat grass, oval-leaf knotweed, stone grass, wiregrass, and door weed, as well as many others, knotweed was first seen in North America in 1809 and is now seen throughout all of the United States and Canada. less ↑

Polygonum aviculare or common knotgrass is a plant related to buckwheat and dock. It is also called prostrate knotweed, birdweed, pigweed and lowgrass. It is an annual found in fields and wasteland, with white flowers from June to October. It is widespread across many countries in temperate regions, apparently native to Eurasia and North America, naturalized in temperate parts of the Southern Hemisphere. less ↑

Bassia scoparia (syn. Kochia scoparia) is a large annual herb in the family Amaranthaceae native to Eurasia. It has been introduced to many parts of North America, where it is found in grassland, prairie, and desert shrub ecosystems. Its common names include burningbush,ragweed, summer cypress,mock-cypress, kochia, belvedere, Mexican firebrush, and Mexican fireweed. less ↑

Kali tragus (Synonyms Salsola tragus, Salsola kali subsp. tragus) is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family known by the common name prickly Russian thistle, or simply Russian thistle. It is perhaps the most common species of tumbleweed, and may be known by this common name. This plant is native to Eurasia but it has long been present in North America as an introduced species and a common weed of disturbed habitat; it is... less ↑

Cirsium ochrocentrum is a species of thistle known by the common name yellowspine thistle. It is native to the central United States, but its distribution is somewhat wider, reaching to California and into Mexico where the plant has been introduced. It is a weed which grows in disturbed areas such as roadsides. This is a perennial herb growing up to a meter tall with one to twenty white woolly stems per plant. The leaves are generally... less ↑

Cirsium undulatum is a species of thistle known by the common names wavyleaf thistle and gray thistle. It is native to much of central and western North America from Canada to Mexico, and present outside of its native range as an introduced species. It is widespread and found in many habitat types. It is a perennial herb exceeding two meters in maximum height. The stem branches a few times toward the top of the plant if... less ↑

Taraxacum officinale, the common dandelion (often simply called "dandelion"), is a flowering herbaceous perennial plant of the family Asteraceae (Compositae). It can be found growing in temperate regions of the world, in lawns, on roadsides, on disturbed banks and shores of water ways, and other areas with moist soils. T. officinale is considered a weed, especially in lawns and along roadsides, but it is sometimes used as a medical herb and in food preparation. Common dandelion... less ↑

Sonchus asper (sharp-fringed sow thistle, prickly sow-thistle, spiny sow thistle, or spiny-leaved sow thistle) is an annual plant with spiny leaves and yellow flowers resembling those of the dandelion. The leaves are bluish-green, simple, lanceolate, with wavy and sometimes lobed margins, covered in spines on both the margins and beneath. The base of the leaf surrounds the stem. The plant can reach 180 cm (6 ft) in height. The leaves and stems emit a milky sap when... less ↑

Lactuca serriola, also called prickly lettuce,milk thistle (not to be confused with Silybum marianum, also called milk thistle) compass plant, and scarole, is an annual or biennial plant, slightly foetid, that is commonly considered a weed of orchards, roadsides and field crops. The closest wild relative of cultivated lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). The leaves grow along a spiny stem and get progressively smaller as they reach its top. They emit latex when cut. Many flowers are... less ↑

Tragopogon dubius (western salsify, western goat's-beard, wild oysterplant, yellow salsify, yellow goat's beard, goat's beard, goatsbeard, common salsify, salsify) is a species of Salsify native to southern and central Europe and western Asia and found as far north and west as northern France. Although it has been reported from Kashmir and India, recent evidence suggests that specimens from these areas may be a different species. Western Salsify has been introduced into North America where it has... less ↑

Achillea millefolium, commonly known as yarrow /ˈjæroʊ/ or common yarrow, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Asia, Europe, and North America. It has been introduced as a feed for livestock in places like New Zealand and Australia. However, it is a weed in those places and sometimes also in its native regions. less ↑

Matricaria discoidea, commonly known as pineappleweed, wild chamomile, and disc mayweed is an annual plant native to North America and Northeast Asia but which has become a cosmopolitan weed. It is in the family Asteraceae. The flowers exude a chamomile/pineapple aroma when crushed. They are edible and have been used in salads (although they may become bitter by the time the plant blooms) and to make herbal tea. Pineapple weed has been used for medicinal purpose less ↑

Gutierrezia sarothrae is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common names broom snakeweed, broomweed, snakeweed, and matchweed. It is a subshrub native to much of the western half of North America, from western Canada to central Mexico, and can be found in a number of arid, grassland, and mountain habitats. It can be toxic to livestock in large quantities, due mainly to the presence of saponins. less ↑

Euthamia occidentalis is a flowering plant known by the common names western goldentop and western goldenrod. It is a scrubby perennial plant with many green stems which age into a dull brownish-green, small leaves, and plentiful yellowish clusters of flowers. It is a common plant of western North America, where it is most likely to be found near water, such as ditches and marshes. less ↑

Solidago rigida,, common names stiff goldenrod and stiff-leaved goldenrod, is a North American plant species in the sunflower family. It is native to the region between the Atlantic Coast and the Rockies, from Alberta east to Ontario, south as far as New Mexico, Texas, and Georgia. In New England, it grows today only in Connecticut, though there are historical records indicating that it formerly grew in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. less ↑

Erigeron canadensis (synonym Conyza canadensis) is an annual plant native throughout most of North America and Central America. It is also widely naturalized in Eurasia and Australia. Common names include horseweed, Canadian horseweed, Canadian fleabane, coltstail, marestail and butterweed. It was the first weed to have developed glyphosate resistance, reported in 2001 from Delaware. less ↑

Senecio spartioides is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name broom-like ragwort. It is native to the western United States as far east as the Dakotas and Texas, and northern Mexico. It can be found in dry, rocky, often disturbed areas in a number of habitat types. It is a subshrub which can exceed a meter in height, its arching stems growing from a woody-topped taproot. The leaves are... less ↑

Bidens frondosa is a species of flowering plant in the aster family, Asteraceae. It is native to North America, where it is distributed across Canada to Alaska and most all of the contiguous United States, and into Mexico. It is known in many other parts of the world as an introduced species, including Europe, Asia, Morocco, and New Zealand. Its many common names include devil's beggarticks, devil's-pitchfork, devil's bootjack, sticktights, bur marigold, pitchfork weed, tickseed sunflower,leafy... less ↑

Iva xanthiifolia, synonym Cyclachaena xanthiifolia, known as giant sumpweed or, in Britain and Ireland, marsh-elder, is a North American plant species in the sunflower family. It is believed to be native to the Great Plains but now found across much of southern Canada and the contiguous United States, though rarely in the Southeast. It has been introduced and semi-naturalized in central and southern Britain, partly via seeds bought for bird food. less ↑

Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Common Ragweed, is the most widespread plant of the genus Ambrosia in North America. It has also been called Annual Ragweed, Bitterweed, Blackweed, Carrot Weed, Hay Fever Weed, Roman Wormwood, Stammerwort, Stickweed, Tassel Weed, and American Wormwood. It is native in North America. The species name, artemisiifolia, is given because the leaves were thought to bear a resemblance to the leaves of Artemisia, the true wormwoods. less ↑

Ambrosia trifida is a species of flowering plant in the aster family, Asteraceae. It is native to North America, where it is widespread in Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. It is present in Europe and Asia as an introduced species, and it is known as a common weed in many regions. Its common names include great ragweed, Texan great ragweed, giant ragweed, tall ragweed, blood ragweed, perennial ragweed, horseweed,buffaloweed, and kinghead. less ↑

Iva axillaris, called povertyweed or death weed, is a North American species of flowering plants in the daisy family. It grows in the western and central United States and in western Canada, from British Columbia south to California and east as far as the western Great Plains in the Texas Panhandle, Nebraska, the Dakotas, and Manitoba. It has also become established in Australia, where it is considered a weed. less ↑

The sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is an annual plant native to the Americas. It possesses a large inflorescence (flowering head), and its name is derived from the flower's shape and image, which is often used to capture the sun. The plant has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves, and circular flower heads. The heads consist of many individual flowers which mature into seeds, often in the hundreds, on a receptacle base. From the Americas,... less ↑

Helianthus petiolaris is part of the Compositae or sunflower family, Asteraceae. This species is commonly known as the prairie sunflower. Naturalist and botanist Thomas Nuttall was the first to described the prairie sunflower in 1821. The word petiolaris in Latin means, “having a petiole”. It originated in western United States, but has since expanded east. The prairie sunflower is considered a be a weed. less ↑

Verbesina encelioides is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. The species is native to the United States and Mexico. It is naturalized in the Middle East, Spain, Argentina, Australia and the Pacific islands. Common names include golden crownbeard, cowpen daisy, butter daisy, crown-beard, American dogweed and South African daisy., less ↑

Gaillardia aristata is a North American species of flowering plants in the sunflower family known by the common names common blanketflower and common gaillardia. This perennial wildflower is widespread across much of North America, from Yukon east to Québec and south as far as California, Arizona, Illinois, and Connecticut, although it may be naturalized rather than native in parts of that range. It is also naturalized in scattered locations in Europe, Australia, and S less ↑

Gaillardia pulchella (firewheel, Indian blanket, Indian blanketflower, or sundance), is a North American species of short-lived perennial or annual flowering plants in the sunflower family. It is native to northern Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Sonora, Tamaulipas) and the southern and central United States from Arizona east to Florida and the Carolinas and north as far as Nebraska. It is also naturalized in scattered locations in other parts of less ↑

Erodium cicutarium, also known as redstem filaree, common stork's-bill or pinweed, is a herbaceous annual – or in warm climates, biennial – member of the family Geraniaceae of flowering plants. It is native to the Mediterranean Basin and was introduced to North America in the eighteenth century, where it has since become invasive, particularly of the deserts and arid grasslands of the southwestern United States. less ↑

Toxicodendron rydbergii the western poison ivy, is a species of Toxicodendron in the cashew family. It is native to most of Canada from the Maritimes to British Columbia, and most of the contiguous United States except the southeastern states, New Jersey, Delaware, and California. It can be found growing in forests, and other wooded areas, usually near streams and rivers. less ↑