December Weed Alert!

Pull hairy bittercress now for fewer weeds next spring!

It's December and we're posting a weed alert? Yes, there is a sneaky, obnoxious little winter weed called Hairy Bittercress that grows quite happily in the late fall, and often flowers in February and March. I have nicknamed it "clickweed", because in the spring it projects its seeds with a distinct clicking sound when walking through it or even touching it. Of course, this starts the cycle over again. I actually have some of these weeds in bloom right now. 

They first present themselves as a slightly flat, rounded plant, maybe only an inch or two in diameter, with bright green roundish leaves. As they mature, the plant increases in size and quickly sends up multiple flower stalks that open into tiny white blooms. Mine would be unlikely to set seed this time of year, but I see hundreds growing madly.   Because the ground is not frozen yet, I am pulling as many as possible. I suggest doing the same if you have the time. According to the experts, this is a weed fairly new on the scene but most prolific. And you thought you didn't have to weed in the winter?