Camphorweed (Heterotheca subaxillaris) is very conspicuous in our field each Fall.

Camphorweed

Camphorweed (Heterotheca subaxillaris) is very conspicuous in our field each Fall. With all the rain we have had this year, it has outdone itself. Some of the plants are eight feet tall. If you squash some of the leaves between your fingers and smell them, you will understand why it is called Camphorweed. The stems are very sticky from glandular secretions.

Camphorweed with morning dew

This plant comes in two forms; a tall form that was formerly found only west of the Mississippi and a more prostrate form found along the Atlantic Coast. The tall form was introduced in our area about 1950, and it has turned out to be a very aggressive colonizer. It now occupies the entire Georgia piedmont. Look for it in abandoned fields or along roadsides.