All rights to these images are reserved. Educational use permitted. Ashy dogweed is a herbaceous perennial wildflower. It gets its name from the ashy grayish-green color of the stems and leaves. Under favorable conditions, ashy dogweed forms dense, circular clumps.
Numerous flowers cover the plants after rains, creating a beautiful sight.
During dry times, the plants become brittle and dry and the color appears gray to almost white. The small, cup-like empty seed heads remain on the ends of the stem for some time. Restricted to unique soils found in South Texas. These sands range in depth from shallow to very deep. Although ashy dogweed has been observed in areas where the ground has been disturbed, it is not known whether this species actually prefers disturbance or if it grows equally well on disturbed and nondisturbed sites.