September 9, 2009
Cocklebur or Common Clotbur, Xanthium chinense
In recent years this fast-spreading invasive weed has been making inroads at Fresh Pond Reservation. As with many of the weeds that grow on the Reservation, the seedpods are covered with hooks that become attached to the fur of dogs or clothes of people wandering off the paths. If the seedpods are later pulled off and thrown onto the ground, they may grow and create a new colony Cockleburs.