You may have encountered this tall shrub on your walks, particularly in rich woods and clearings in South County. It is very easy to spot with its tall, tawny, inch-thick stems covered with stout spines. In summer the twice- or three times-compound leaves are dramatic – up to 3 feet long and made up of many toothed leaflets. If you are lucky enough to see flowers they are in large umbels made up of small 5-parted white flowers that yield black fruits in fall. This shrub is native to much of the eastern USA but considered to have escaped from cultivation in the northeast. Despite being a shrub this plant can be keyed using Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide.

Congratulations to the following for correctly identifying the October Mystery Plant – Melampyrum lineare, cow-wheat, Orobanchaceae (Broom-Rape Family)
Tony Riccitelli
Melissa Hughes
Michael Narcisi
Steve Abreu
Michele Paquet
Ann Amaral