Weed ID

PERENNIAL PEPPERWEED

Brassicaceae or Mustard Family
Lepidium latifolium

OTHER COMMON NAMES: Broad-leaved peppergrass or tall whitetop.

GROWTH HABIT: Perennial, grows typically 1 to 3 feet tall but can reach 6 feet.

LEAVES: Bright-green to gray-green leaves have a whitish midvein and are pointed at the tip. Leaves do not clasp the stem. Basal leaves are covered with a waxy layer.

STEMS: Stem leaves are smaller than basal leaves and are alternately arranged on the stem.

FLOWERS: Less than 1/8 inch wide and consist of four white petals arranged in a cross and are borne in dense, rounded clusters at the terminal part of branches.

ROOTS: Creeping root system can penetrate depths of up to 10 feet.

SEEDS: Fruit is flat, rounded, slightly hairy reddish-brown capsule that contains two tiny seeds. Infestations can produce over 6.4 billion seeds per acre, seed viability is short.

REPRODUCES: Reproduces by roots and seed.

HABITAT: Most frequently found in riparian areas, marshes, irrigation channels, wetlands, and floodplains.