Spotted Knapweed

Centaurea maculosa

Growth Habitat: Biennial or short-lived perennial, grows 1-3 feet tall.

Leaves: Long and divided on lower, short and narrow above, covered with fine hairs.

Stems: Erect with slender wiry branches, covered with fine hairs.

Flowers: On branched stem tips, flowers are pink to purple, rarely white. The seed has black-tipped bracts.

Roots: Taproot, and well-developed, fibrous.

Seeds: Produces 1,000 seeds per plant, viable up to 9 years.

Reproduces: By seed.

Habitat: Found in meadows, roadsides, native grasslands, pastures, and waste places.