Forgive wildflower lovers for saying "you bastard" every time they see the yellow-colored plant growing along North Texas roadways.
They're just calling out the aggressive weed by its name.
Bastard cabbage is an invasive species that tends to put down roots in some places popular with wildflowers. And because of the wet winter it's growing like crazy in North Texas.
While some may mistake the patches of bright yellow for wildflowers, the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin says it's no friend to the bluebonnet, the state flower of Texas.
"I think most people who like wildflowers are going to say it's a really big problem," said Hans Landel, interim invasive species coordinator at the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center.
The Texas Invasives website said bastard cabbage, which is also known as turnip weed, provides tough competition for native plants and can establish a monoculture, where it dominates other vegetation.
