Photo Credit: USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org
Synonyms
- Bearded Creeper
ID Characteristics
General: Common Crupina is a winter annual that grows 0.3 – 1m tall. It is part of the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family.
Flowers: The thin, vase-shaped flowers range in colour from lavender to purple. Each plant has between one and five flowerheads per stem. Flowers are surrounded by scale-like bracts.
Stems: Common Crupina has a single, erect, and ridged stem that forms 5 – 15 branches near the top.
Leaves: Common Crupina leaves are alternate, toothed and rough-haired. They are increasingly smaller towards the top of the stem.
Seeds: The black-silvery to beige seeds are cone-shaped and very small (0.3 to 0.6 mm long). Seeds are covered with fine hairs.
Roots: Fibrous roots.
Similar Species
Canada Thistle (SSISC)
Invasive
Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense) grows up to 2 m tall.
Diffuse and Spotted Knapweeds (Photo credit: K. George Beck and James Sebastian, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org)
Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea stoebe) and Diffuse Knapweed (Centaurea diffusa): leaf margins do not contain bristly barb-tipped hairs.
Habitat and Origin
Origin: Common Crupina is native to the Mediterranean; it was first discovered in North America in 1969.
Habitat: Common Crupina is adapted to a variety of soil and climatic conditions, and thrives in pastures, hay fields, riparian areas, along roadsides, and along railways. It has not been reported in Canada yet, but it has been observed in Washington and Idaho.
How it Spreads
Reproduction: Common Crupina reproduces by seed. Seeds remain viable in the soil for about three years.
Vectors of Spread: Seeds typically fall close to the parent plant, and long-distance spread typically occurs by water or through animals. Common Crupina seeds can survive the digestive tracts of cows and horses. This species is also spread in contaminated hay or soil, and by machinery.
Impacts
Ecological:
- Outcompetes native species.
- Grows in dense stands, which increase erosion.
Economic:
- Can contaminate hay and reduce pasture potential.
- Displaces forage plants for livestock.
Prevent the Spread
Common Crupina is NOT currently found throughout the Sea to Sky region, so the best approach for controlling its spread is PREVENTION.
This is a high-priority invasive species for the Province of BC, and it is included in the Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) program.
If you see Common Crupina, please report it.
Learn to identify Common Crupina: Use the images on this profile page.
What to do if you spot it: You can report any Common Crupina sighting by visiting our reporting page.
DO:
- Regularly monitor properties for weed infestations.
- Ensure soil and gravel is uncontaminated before transport.
- Minimize soil disturbance in the area surrounding the infestation.
- Ensure plants (particularly flowering heads or root fragments) are bagged or covered to prevent spread during transport to designated disposal sites (e.g. landfill).
DO NOT:
- Plant Common Crupina in a garden, no matter how well-contained its enclosure may seem.
- Move soil that has been contaminated with Common Crupina.
- Unload, park, or store equipment or vehicles in infested areas; remove plant material from any equipment, vehicles, or clothing used in such areas and wash equipment and vehicles at designated cleaning sites before leaving infested areas.
- Compost Common Crupina, especially its seeds!
Control
Cultural Control:
- Grazing with sheep is a potential strategy to manage Common Crupina in the early growth stages.
Mechanical Control:
- Hand-pulling plants before they produce flowers and seeds works well for small infestations.
- Sites should be monitored for regrowth for at least 4 years, as seeds remain viable in soil for three years.
Chemical Control:
- Applications of 2,4-D, dicamba, or picloram to actively growing plants (before they flower) have proven effective for Common Crupina control.
- However, note that picloram is not suitable for wet, coastal soils.
We recommend that any herbicide application is carried out by a person holding a valid BC Pesticide Applicator Certificate. Before selecting and applying herbicides, you must review and follow herbicide labels and application rates; municipal, regional, provincial, and federal laws and regulations and site-specific goals and objectives; and species-specific treatment recommendations.
Biological Control:
There are no biological control agents currently available for this plant.
Sea to Sky Distribution
Common Crupina Factsheet
References
- Alberta Invasive Species Council, Common Crupina
- Coastal Invasive Species Committee, Common Crupina
- Fraser Valley Invasive Species Society, Common Crupina
- Government of Canada, Common Crupina
- Invasive Species Council of British Columbia, Field Guide to Noxious Weeds and other selected invasive plants of British Columbia
- Nevada Department of Agriculture, Common Crupina (Crupina vulgaris)
- State of Oregon, “B” Rated Weeds
- Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board, Common Crupina