If you have been cycling in Boise for a long time, you are likely to be the victim of a goat head puncture. When you remove the pointed nut from the tire, you may even observe it. But where did the culprit come from? It must come from plants. But which one? Knowing this now is particularly helpful because the first annual Boise Goat Head Fest is coming soon. If you manage to fill the garbage bag full of these weeds by the end of July, you will get a drink token. Fortunately, this plant is easy to identify. However, there are some similarities, so it is essential to be familiar with the related plants to be sure that you are extracting the correct plants.
Goat Head Thorn Season
Goat Head Thorn is a warm annual plant native to the Mediterranean region of southern Europe. The first European settlers inadvertently introduced it to North America when the spines of this plant were dipped into the ocean on sheep’s wool. Since then, borer vines have spread in great numbers throughout the continent due to the ability to harvest their seeds freely.
The thorn vine has a creeping habit; its branches lie flat on the ground and stretch out from the center. It only grows upward when it is obscured or displaced. Its leaves are divided into several small leaflets, and its flowers are small and bright yellow with five petals. Otherwise, it is a beautiful plant, if not because of the menacing jagged fruits behind the flowers. When these fruits dry, they will fall off the plant, divide into five pieces, and then wait to puncture your tire until the sole of your shoe or animal’s foot or stick to the stray fur.
Goat Head Spine Removal
Goat Head Plant (Zygophyllaceae) is an annual prostate herb that is distributed all over the world. The plant is distributed in parts of southern Europe, southern Asia, Africa, and Australia. It can grow in various soils. It mainly grows in spring and summer. If the plant comes into contact with your feet, it can cause damage to livestock and people. The thorns of the fruit can cause harm. If these plants grow in orchards, pastures, between crops, or on the roadside, they will harm herbivores by thorns in their mouths and digestive systems. Its leaves are also poisonous to animals when eaten in large quantities. They can also cause skin necrosis, blindness, and even the death of young animals in extreme cases.
The key to controlling goat heads is to eliminate plants before they produce productive and dangerous seeds. The most straightforward strategy is to uproot the plants or to whip them before the roots are formed. Discard the plants in the trash can. If the plant produces burrs, wear thick gloves and shoes and sweep or rake to collect the burrs that fell off the plant. The University of California’s Integrated Pest Control Program recommends tapping the ground with a carpet to remove burrs. Remove burrs from shoes and equipment tires to prevent them from moving to new areas. Goat head seeds are resistant to most herbicides. If a particular pre-emergence herbicide containing anlerin, benomyl, or trifluralin is applied to the planting area before germination begins, the germination rate can be minimized. Better results may be obtained by using glyphosate herbicide on seedlings before they have grown seeds.
Goat Head Thorn Poison
If a grazing animal eats goat head burrs, the sharp tip will cause sores on the animal’s mouth, tongue, and digestive tract. The burrs can get stuck in the animal’s fur, legs, and hooves, then spread to other places and cause injury in the body. It is also dangerous to eat plant parts other than burrs because plants contain two toxic compounds. One of them is a nitrate, which can cause nitrate poisoning in livestock. Symptoms include shortness of breath, loss of appetite, staggering steps, and bluetongue and whites of the eyes. The goat head plant also contains toxic steroidal saponins, which can cause sheep liver-derived photosensitivity. Bleeding wounds will appear on the skin, and lips and ears will swell. In severe cases, sheep will lose ears and lips, and young animals will die.
Goat head spinal infection
For pet owners, goat heads pose a unique problem: their dog’s legs can be injured when running in cool weather. Without proper precautions and treatment, goat heads may cause severe pain and even infection in your dog.
The goat head (scientific name Tribulus Terrestris) is also commonly known as thorn vine. This is due to the goat head burrs’ penetration in clothing, gloves, footwear, tires, and of course, the skin.
When people try to remove the spines from their feet or hands, they are often pricked. People can also be injured when they come across goat heads wrapped in pants, socks, shoelaces, or pet fur. Goat head is an invasive and annoying grass species. It is excruciating to step on and sometimes challenging to kill.
