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How to Manage Pests

Identification: Weed Photo Gallery

Turkey mullein

Scientific name: Croton setigerus (Spurge Family: Euphorbiaceae)

Life stages of Turkey mullein top picture bottom left picture bottom right picture

Click on image to enlarge

DESCRIPTION:
Turkey mullein is a summer annual broadleaf weed which grows in open, dry areas. The cotyledons (seed leaves) and true leaves are oval and covered with star-shaped hairs, which give the plant a gray green, mealy appearance. The mature plant is low growing, up to 1 foot (30 cm) high, and forms dense, rounded mats 1 to 2 feet (30 - 60 cm) across. Stems and leaves are densely covered with bristly, star-shaped hairs. The leaves are thick, oval to nearly round, and have a strong, sweet odor. The flowers are small and inconspicuous; they may arise in clusters at the tip of branches, or they may be borne in the junction between stalks and stems of lower leaves.

Broadleaf ID illustration.


Statewide IPM Program, Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California
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For noncommercial purposes only, any Web site may link directly to this page. FOR ALL OTHER USES or more information, read Legal Notices. Unfortunately, we cannot provide individual solutions to specific pest problems. See How to manage pests, or in the U.S., contact your local Cooperative Extension office for assistance. /PMG/WEEDS/turkey_mullein.html revised: November 17, 2008. Contact webmaster.