USWildflowers Daily Plant 12/21/2012
Photo from 6/6/2010. Location: Ada County, ID
Yellow Salsify, an introduced and possibly invasive species. For more photos and information go to the Tragopogon dubius detail page.
Yellow Salsify, Yellow Goatsbeard, Western Salsify, Wild Oysterplant – Tragopogon dubius
Also Daily Plant 10/22/2010, 12/21/2011
In Iowa, Gold Finches are highly attracted to these and will eat most of the seeds long before they have a chance to blow away. I leave them in my yard just to bird watch.
Amazing, found three or four of these “Yellow Salsify” in my mom’s backyard in northern Michigan when I let the backyard area grow for my dog. I caught the flower fully extended one morning and thought it was beautiful and unique. I didn’t realize it only opened with the sun and then within a few hours would be closed again. This morning it started to open about 5:30 when hit by the sun and then was pretty much closed by 10:00.
I am not a botanist by and means but basically a naturalist that as I grow older appreciates the unique and diverse offerings of the natural environment around us. Would love to know more about where it native as it appears it is considered an invasive species though out the US.
Thanks for the resource that let me track it down.
July 2021,this yellow salsify in a field that has a natural rotation with what lands or sprouts and grows. deer “fighter pilot” flies are there this year so unable to walk back there much this year. but most of area seemed filled w this oddly beautiful flower. My 8th yr living here, several years this field was filled with milkweed, tall ones, w shorter orange filling it a yr or two.golden rod was well represented too. Purple mouth-refreshing bee balm dominated the field 2-3 yrs. last yr a small plot sprouted blackberries, unbelievable to me. But i don’t want those Delicious wild raspberries to disappear from the edges. Then this early hot humid wet spring this yellow flower sprang up. I wonder next yr what will we c. I c a writer says the finches love it,last week I told lady at store, my finches must a found a better feed spot, Golden not at my feeders as usual. Its all been some type of great rotation, or what the wildlife moves about.