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Mayweed chamomile

(Anthemis cotula)

mayweed chamomile flower
Charles T. Bryson, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org
mayweed chamomile plant
Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte, Bugwood.org

A bushy annual that reproduces prolifically from seed, this plant grows from one-half to two feet tall and has finely dissected alternate leaf structures. It has white ray flowers and is capable of producing up to 960,000 seeds that can remain viable for up to six years. It can tolerate a wide range of soils but prefers moist poorly-drained soils.

Mayweed chamomile is recognizable by the unpleasant odor it emits, and can cause skin rashes, blistering of livestock muzzles, and irritation to the mucous membranes of grazing livestock. It is rare in Garfield County, but may be found in Beaver Creek and elsewhere in small numbers.