Origin:
Coast fiddleneck is native to Oregon and California.
Biology:
A winter annual – seeds germinate from November through early spring, with plants maturing in early summer and dying once hot weather arrives.
Identification:
Most characteristic is the flower stalk, which is curled in the shape of the neck of a violin, giving this weed its common name. Flowers are very small, orange, and arranged in rows along the sides of the terminal stems. Leaves are 1 to 4 inches long, arranged alternately along the stems, and lance shaped and very hairy and bristly to the touch.
Characteristicts Important to Control:
May grow densely in almost any soil condition. Livestock feeding on fiddleneck in the field or as a contaminant in hay may suffer liver poisoning, and a condition called “walking disease” in horses.
