Telegraph Weed
Heterotheca grandiflora
The telegraph weed is by all appearances, a scraggly roadside weed — which it is. This bristly plant extends over a meter in height and is covered in spiny toothed leaves. Sometimes the pale green leaves are more lobed than spiny and they frequently have wavy edges. Towards the stop of the hairy stem, the leaves are smaller and more widely spaced. The top of the stem is occupied by a cluster of bright yellow daisy-like flowers. The small flowers have numerous thin yellow petals. When the blooms are closed, they look like closed dandelion flowers, contributing to their weed-like appearance.
Basic Information
Member of the Asteracae family
A pioneer species and roadside weed, even where it is native
A pioneer species is the first to colonize barren environments or disrupted ecosystems, such as by wildfire
Habitat
Native to southwestern United States and northern Mexico
In California, it is widespread from Butte County and south
Found in other areas as an introduced species, such as Hawaii
Commonly found in dry streams, dunes, and disturbed places, such as roadsides
Ecological Role
Attracts many types of butterflies and bees
Finches eat the seeds
Good for restoration projects because it easily establishes
Reproduction
Mainly blooms from late spring to fall
In hotter, drier climates the flowers can bloom any month of the year
Flowers for as long as 4 weeks
visited by a wide range of pollinators including native bees, flower flies, butterflies and flower moths
Wind distributed seeds
Alternative Names
Telegraphweed
Historical Uses
Some native peoples, such as the Luiseno, used the stems to make small arrow shafts for hunting and fishing
Additional Information
Has antibacterial and anti-fungal properties
A decoction or tincture of the foliage can help cleanse cuts, scrapes and minor skin wounds
a salve or tincture of the Telegraph plant can be used as a topical lotion on sprains, arthritic joints and other joint problems associated with swelling, inflammation and associated pain
