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Sahara Mustard, Brassica tournefortii

Also known as Asian Mustard, Wild-Turnip, and Tournefort's Cabbage, Brassica tournefortii is an invasive weed that overtakes the territory of the native plants we prize.

Brassica tournefortii starts life with a few fingernail-size leaves, which soon become a cluster. When it reaches maturity, this plant becomes the bully of the wildflower playground, with floppy big leaves that deny light and air to attractive flowers. At the end of the season, the branches dry, leaving desert fields filled with golden stalks that are a nuisance to hikers. The plant's yellow flowers are tiny, and its many seed pods are deadly, spread by wind, rain, hiking boots, and vehicle tires to do further damage the next year.

Tiny Brassica tournefortii leaves