Weeds Identification Gallery

Common Salsify

  • Tragopogon porrifolius
  • Sunflower Family: Asteraceae
Updated: 01/2026

Common salsify is a perennial or biennial broadleaf plant. It is common on agricultural land and in other disturbed areas. It is found throughout California, except the Great Basin and deserts, to about 5600 feet (1700 m). The taproot and other plant parts are edible. Animals feed on its leaves and fruit.

Habitat

Disturbed sites, fields, orchards, vineyards, perennial crop fields, roadsides, vacant urban lots, trail sides in woodlands and grass lands, open areas in coniferous forests, and other unmanaged, disturbed places.

Seedling

Seedlings are narrow and grasslike and grow out of a tube formed by the bases of the cotyledons (seed leaves). The cotyledons are linear, about 4-1/3 to 5 inches (11–13 cm) long, stalkless, hairless, and more or less fused at the base. First and later true leaves of the seedling are usually about 3-1/2 to almost 5 inches (9–12 cm) long, and resemble the cotyledons.

A common salsify seedling. Credit: Bill B. Fischer
Seedling. Credit: Bill B. Fischer

Young Plant

Plants remain in the rosette form until the flower stem develops at maturity. At this stage they are grasslike.

Mature Plant

Plants grow erect, range from 2 to 4 feet (60–120 cm) tall, and have few stem branches. Rosette and stem leaves are grasslike with parallel veins, slightly fleshy, release a milky sap when torn, and range from about 5 to 20 inches (15–50 cm) long. The leaf base is broad and clasps the stem. Leaves are alternate to one another along the stem. Taproots are thick, fleshy, usually branched, and also contain a milky sap.

Six upright flowering stems, one with an open purple flower, grow from a base of shorter grasslike leaves. Copyright information is at the bottom (Copyright 2007 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.). Credit: Joseph M. DiTomaso, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources
Mature plant. Credit: Joseph M. DiTomaso, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources

Flowers

Flowering takes place from April through July. A thick stalk bears a single flower head at its tip. The flower head contains purple flowers that cluster, daisylike, and is surrounded by 8 or 9 narrow and green modified leaves (bracts) that are much longer than the petals. A related weed, western salsify, has yellow flowers. Flower heads are generally open and track the sun from morning to midday.

A flower with purple petals and a purple and yellow center. Underneath and extending past the purple petals are eight spiky leaves. They surround the flower and are equally spaced from each other. Copyright information is at the bottom (Copyright 2007 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.). Credit: Joseph M. DiTomaso, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources
Flower. Credit: Joseph M. DiTomaso, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources

Fruits

Mature fruiting heads look like those of dandelion puffballs. The tiny, oblong to narrowly football-shaped fruit is about 1 to 1-3/5 inches (2.5–4 cm) long, and has a thin projection that ends in a tuft of soft white hairs. Each fruit contains one seed.

Three fruiting heads amongst many unopened flowers. Fruiting heads are round, tan, and fuzzy. Copyright information is at the bottom (Copyright 2007 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.). Credit: Joseph M. DiTomaso, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources
Fruiting heads. Credit: Joseph M. DiTomaso, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources

Reproduction

Reproduces by seed.

Five long, thin, tan seeds. Two seeds have a conically shaped tuft of hairs on one end. A 1 mm bar show the seeds to be about 2 mm long and 0.2 mm wide. The tuft of hairs adds 1 mm of length to the seed and spreads out 1 to 1.5 mm wide. Copyright information is at the bottom (Copyright 2007 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.). Credit: James A. O'Brien, University of California
Seeds. Credit: James A. O'Brien, University of California
  • Western salsify, Tragopogon dubius

More Information

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