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Broom Snakeweed
Sunflower Family : Asteraceae
Latin Name : Gutierrezia sarothrae
(synonym: Xanthocephalum sarothrae)
Longevity : Perennial
Season : Warm
Origin : Native
Value : Wildlife – poor
Livestock – TOXIC
Remarks :
This plant is a bushy, evergreen shrub or halfshrub
that grows from 4 to 16 inches in height. It flowers
from June to October, reproduces from seed. Snakeweed
provides little browse for livestock. It is of minimal
value to cattle and horses. This plant can be toxic
to sheep, goats, and cattle particularly during the winter
or early spring when poor forage availability forces
animals to consume large quantities. Saponins present
in the foliage are responsible for the poisoning. This
plant can be an indicator of overgrazing, but populations
are heavily cyclical, and heavy infestations can
be an indicator of weather conditions rather than overgrazing.
Southwest Indians chewed pieces of the plant
and placed on bee and wasp stings. Adapted to dry, well
drained, sandy, gravelly, or clay loam soils.
Source: USDA-NRCS
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