Tragopogon dubius (Yellow Goat's Beard)
| Also known as: | Yellow Salsify, Fistulous Goat's-beard |
|---|---|
| Genus: | Tragopogon |
| Family: | Asteraceae (Aster) |
| Life cycle: | biennial |
| Origin: | Europe |
| Habitat: | sun; dry fields, along roads |
| Bloom season: | May - September |
| Plant height: | 1 to 3 feet |
| Wetland Indicator Status: | none |
| MN county distribution (click map to enlarge): |  |
| National distribution (click map to enlarge): |  |
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Detailed Information
Flower: 
![[photo of flower]](/udata/r9ndp23q/yellow/yellow-goats-beard_0522_102413.jpg)
Single flower at the top of the plant and at the end of the few branching stems. Flowers are up to 2 inches across with many pale lemon yellow dandelion-type ray flowers (petals). The (usually) 13 green bracts that surround the flower are much longer than the petals.
![[photo of phyllaries (bracts)]](/udata/r9ndp23q/pd/tragopogon-dubius-006.jpg)
The stem just below the bracts thickens to nearly as wide as the receptacle. The flowers open on sunny mornings and close by noon. The closed flowers resemble a thin pod, up to 5 inches long.
Leaves and stem:
![[photo of leaves]](/udata/r9ndp23q/yellow/yellow-goats-beard_0609_190405.jpg)
Leaves are grass-like blades, about ½ inch wide and up to 1 foot long, often folded lengthwise, toothless and hairless, gradually tapering to a pointed tip, clasping the stem. Stems are smooth, green or brownish, may branch near the base of the plant or have multiple flowering stems. The stems exude a milky sap when broken.
Fruit:
![[photo of fruit]](/udata/r9ndp23q/yellow/yellow-goats-beard_0621_102549.jpg)
Seed head is a giant dandelion-type plume, 3 inches in diameter, with light brown hairs attached to the seed.
Notes:
Yellow Goat's-beard is probably found in every county in Minnesota, though there are no official records for a handful of counties. It is not as aggressive as many other non-natives, though it does invade prairie habitat easily enough and is often found scattered in sunny locations. When the sun hits the seed head, it glistens with a pale bronze color and is quite attractive. A similar species, Tragopogon pratensis (Meadow Goat's-beard), also non-native, has brighter yellow flowers, bracts that are as long as or shorter than the rays, and leaves that curl at the tip.
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More photos
Yellow Goat's-beard plants
more plantsPhotos by K. Chayka taken at Long Lake Regional Park, New Brighton, MN. Photos by Peter M. Dziuk taken in Anoka County.
Comments
Have you seen this plant in Minnesota, or have any other comments about it?
on: 2008-06-26 09:29:14
Saw this in Stearns County in St. Cloud by Whitney Field and couldn't find it in my Wildflowers of Minnesota book.
on: 2008-06-26 10:21:08
Sorry, I was mistaken. It is on page 353 of my Wildflowers of Minnesota book (by Stan Tekiela).
on: 2008-06-26 19:01:18
Laura, Stan's book is nice for beginners because it has some lovely photos in it. In fact, it was my first wildflower field guide and really helped spark my interest in native plants. When you're ready to expand your horizons, I recommend Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, available in most book stores. It uses illustrations instead of photos, which can actually make identification easier once you learn how to use the key.
on: 2009-06-07 12:56:13
We have many plants in our orchard and earthen wall. Both are disturbed soils with heavy clay.
on: 2009-06-09 12:08:19
Thank you for helping to identify the plant that randomly showed up on the edge of my flower bed. I have also seen it naturally scattered about at the Gateway Trail community garden in St. Paul.
on: 2009-09-13 23:35:56
I have a single one growing in the middle of my garden and my mother always tries to yank it. I like the way it looks though!
on: 2010-02-08 11:27:40
We have several of these in our meadow and they often pop up in the lawn. They are beautiful and have great seed heads. I had assumed they were native because there is a nice photo of one on a MN tourist magazine.
on: 2010-05-24 20:10:21
http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/spf/fhp/weed_book/pages/tragopogon.html is a particularly splendid photo of this, useful for identifying it. Was hoping it was native, but now I have a new enemy!
on: 2010-07-03 07:09:26
The mapping tool was not available but I found many of them in Minneopa State Park in Blue Earth County which has not yet been highlighted. is it the county where the MN river turns back north and is shaped like a triangle.
on: 2010-07-07 09:34:33
As of this writing, there is no record of poison ivy in Ramsey county, but you can hardly walk in any woods in the county without wading through masses of it. ;)
on: 2011-06-13 23:24:01
Found this growing along Lake Ripley in Litchfield.
on: 2011-07-04 15:17:24
By the road, running alongside Fox Lake, North of Bemidji.
on: 2011-08-09 20:12:07
I see this plant is not native to Minnesota, so I am wondering why Glendalough State Park requested voluteers to help spread the plant in an area of prarie restoration? I personally helped reseed this plant, and am confused about why we would reseed it when its not native.
on: 2012-06-11 14:22:50
Saw a scattering of these growing on my friend's septic field. Some of them were huge! Never have seen them before...unless I just haven't paid attention.
on: 2012-06-14 16:22:44
My kids found these growing along the alley behind our house. My son picked one with a big puffy seed head and brought it to me because he thought it was cool-looking. My daughter helped me to identify the flower on your site. Thanks!
on: 2013-07-16 14:16:07
Wow! I was inspecting our hay fields to see if it was time to cut and oh my goodness!!! I saw the biggest dandelion ahead of me! Upon my closer sighting of this super dandelion, I soon saw it was no dandelion at all. Well, because I didn't know what it was and didn't want it in the hay for the sheep, I got the shovel and bucket. I did take several pictures. Now I found out what it is...yellow goat's beard! It was the only one and a surprise, because we have been haying those fields for 24 years and have never seen this plant! Thanks for all your help!
on: 2014-05-30 09:29:12
My Mom used to collect the huge Dandelion-type seed heads, spray them with hairspray and then spray paint, and use them in "cut-flower arrangements." Nice memory!
on: 2014-06-16 14:05:57
These seem to be quite plentiful this year. Am I to consider these as weeds or simply let them grow as wildflowers?
on: 2014-06-18 08:32:24
These have long grown along our road. I always thought they were the oyster plant, but I now know they are only related.
on: 2015-06-19 11:31:22
Blooming now!
on: 2017-05-26 11:12:59
Extremely Sandy soil location. side of farm field. In southern Dakota county.
on: 2017-06-08 22:06:27
After years of removing buckthorn and sumac, it was nice to see this flower. It looks like it is coming back with vigor, I wish the native grasses did as well.
on: 2017-06-15 16:42:26
I have one plant that showed up this year on the sunny edge of my wildflower planting. I've never seen it in 16 years of living here and grooming wildflowers. It is a beautiful plant. The flowers seem to close up during the day. I will try to propagate from the seeds.
on: 2017-06-17 11:35:56
Very sandy soil. It has gone rapid in my butterfly garden over the last 2 years.
on: 2017-06-19 00:22:33
This showed up in one of my east facing garden beds, backyard, city lot. I'm strictly perennial, so I'm not sure how it got there.
on: 2017-06-30 20:41:05
I found 2 plants 50 feet apart in a ditch within 50 yards of Lake Carlos on East Lake Carlos Drive.
on: 2018-05-14 22:52:04
The last two years this goats beard plant has been growing in my yard Iam from southeast Iowa,I think it's a beautiful plant
on: 2018-06-02 10:12:32
Single plant found in my yard in Big Lake (Sherburne County.) Picked by my 3 year old and currently in a vase.
on: 2018-06-06 22:58:23
I believe this is growing right by the parking lot entrance at the Columbia Heights library, along with the native grasses, sedges, and diervilla.
on: 2018-06-08 14:47:37
I have seen many of these wildflowers along my walking path in my neighborhood.
on: 2018-06-11 06:43:13
Single plant showed up in my perennial garden this year.
on: 2018-06-13 19:20:18
It's popping up many places in my rocky/sandy soil this year, both full and part-sun areas. I pulled the first ones I found but am allowing three to blossom. Among other things, I'm eager to see if the pollinators care about it.
on: 2019-06-04 14:41:11
Thanks for posting this.. I have about a dozen of these in my wildflower garden this year.. Not sure where they came from. We spent hours trying to identify this plant. Is it a weed or a wild flower? Will it invade my wildflowers?
on: 2019-06-04 15:17:59
JInx, it is a non-native wildflower so consider it a weed, though it isn't very aggressive. It is not likely to take over your garden but feel free to eradicate it. No great loss.
on: 2019-06-24 20:19:50
Watching a group of closed goat's-beard plants for days. The flowers have been closed because of all the cloudy days (I've assumed). And "poof" they all go to seed heads! Because they're a biennial? I thought I'd see the yellow flower and then the seed head like a dandelion. Also, one plant had a single flower, 1 huge seed head and several pods yet remain closed. What?????
on: 2020-06-14 08:49:26
I found about 6 of these in my turn around.fairy garden.I think they are beautiful and cool how they are kind if spaced evenly around my little pond. These stories are awesome. It was a MN flower lovers group who informed me of what these were. Thank you for this group also
on: 2020-07-03 07:34:13
Many of these in a small city preserve behind my apartment complex.
on: 2020-08-06 13:47:51
Planted some new Daylilies last fall. This year when they came up this came up too. They just started blooming. I have been trying to figure out if they were weeds or not. They are perennial, but not sure if I want it in my flowerbed?
on: 2021-05-31 14:54:49
Found a number of these along the walking path Fish Creek park in the south end of Maplewood. Kind of a bummer if they are invasive as they are a neat looking flower.
on: 2021-05-31 15:56:56
Jerry, I wouldn't call them invasive since they don't seem to grow in large or dense populations, just scattered here and there.
on: 2021-06-19 16:46:06
Found growing by my mailbox. Dry Sandy soil in full sun. Love the unusualness of this plant. Hope it repopulated in the yard
on: 2021-06-28 07:47:34
Found my first one during my walk thru my flowers in the yard. I mostly have native, but have a few non invasive non native flowers. Think I'll keep this one.
on: 2021-10-07 08:32:05
Practically my whole front yard. It was a rental prior to me purchasing and the tiered front yard is out of control. They are a pretty flower when in bloom, but too many of them taking over and now look horrible. I guess I need to treat it as a weed?
on: 2021-11-05 14:34:12
Emerged from a hosta plant in front of house with full sun.
on: 2022-08-03 18:00:31
I saw a single plant in French Park along a walking/biking path this summer.
on: 2023-06-17 11:25:56
I walk the state trail every day this is the first time I have ever seen it. Beautiful
on: 2023-07-12 13:40:04
For years I've watched this plant in the ditch across the road from me. I have to agree, I would call it a non-native, but not invasive. I may see one every 100ft, but have not seen that steadily increase over the years. Nothing like the pennycress that has competely taken over in an area I quit mowing!
on: 2023-08-22 08:56:20
This plant has self-seeded in my backyard this summer, due to the drought. Does not appear to be highly invasive. I've never seen it before. Lovely!