| Common Name: | Hoary alyssum |
| Family: | Brassicaceae |
| Genus: | Berteroa |
| Species: | incana |
| Classification/Rank: | Extremely Invasive |
| Method of Transportation: | Spread as a contaminant in hay. Also spread by wildlife, birds, footwear, equipment, and vehicles. |
| Habitat/Range: | Low to mid elevations in direct sunlight and dry, gravelly soil. Found in ditches, disturbed plant communities, and heavily grazed pastures. Has the ability to invade irrigated alfalfa fields, dry land and rangelands. After drought or winterkill this plant tends to increase in forage crops. |
Hoary alyssum is a biennial with long slender stock growing up to 0.7 m and white flowers.The leaves are grey green in colour and the entire plant is covered in star shaped hairs. It reproduces by flattened oval seed pods, each containing 3 to 7 seeds that are easily transported.
Hoary alyssum easily invades pastures and is a contaminant in hay. If horses injest this plant it may cause limb edema, fever and laminitis.
For more information on Hoary alyssum and for management options visit the Weeds BC Hoary alyssum webpage. To report this plant call 1-866-44WEEDS or use the Report-A-Weed application.
Land owners and managers have long recognized the need to control invasive plants to limit their impacts. In May 2018, a new smartphone app...
This will be of interest to those writing pest management plans or who work in the vegetation management field. Check out IVMA's website...
