Tanacetum vulgare (Common Tansy): Minnesota Wildflowers

Tanacetum vulgare (Common Tansy)

Plant Info
Also known as:	Golden-buttons
Genus:	Tanacetum
Family:	Asteraceae (Aster)
Life cycle:	perennial
Origin:	Eurasia
Status:	Early Detection weed, Ramsey County Invasive - ERADICATE! Noxious Weed
Habitat:	sun; disturbed soil, fields, ditches, roadsides
Bloom season:	July - September
Plant height:	1 to 5 feet
USDA PLANTS database:	Minnesota county distribution map
Spotted in Ramsey County at:	Battle Creek Regional Park Rice Creek Trail Corridor Vadnais/Snail Lake Regional Park

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Detailed Information

Flower:

Flowers are in flat clusters up to 4 inches across at the top of the plant, and from stems that arise from the leaf axils near the top of the plant. Individual flowers look like golden yellow buttons, about ¼ inch across. There are no petals (ray flowers), only the center disc flowers. There are from 20 to 200 flowers in a cluster.

Leaves and stem:

Leaves are feathery or fern-like, up to 8 inches long, compound in 4 to 10 pairs of leaflets. Leaflets are hairless, up to 1½ inch long, with sharply toothed lobes and dotted glands. There is a pungent odor when the leaves are crushed. Attachment is alternate. The main stem is ridged and tinged red.

Fruit:

Flower heads turn to dark brown seed heads.

Notes:

Common Tansy is a cultivated plant that escaped into the wild and has become invasive. It is not yet on the noxious weed list for Minnesota, but is on various watch lists. The Ramsey County Cooperative Weed Management Area is focusing on locating all populations of Common Tansy, among other things. If you see this growing somewhere in Ramsey County, please post a comment (below) and let us know where. Thanks in advance for helping thwart this pest.

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More photos

Common Tansy plants, about 30 inches tall

Photos taken at Rice Creek Trail Corridor and Vadnais/Snail Lake Regional Park, Shoreview, MN July-August 2008

Comments

Have you seen this plant in Minnesota, or have any other comments about it?

Posted by: Judy H in Cloquet
on: 2009-08-09 20:21:54

They're growing along the fence in my mother's yard. Very large - 2-3 feet and deep roots.

Posted by: Stacy in the North Shore
on: 2009-09-25 10:12:02

I believe this is the plant that was everywhere we went along the North Shore from Duluth to Grand Marais. It has a definite odor at this time of year (September)

Posted by: Bonnie in Blackduck - Beltrami County
on: 2010-07-28 11:19:14

Saw this species along the woodline and bike trail near Blackduck, MN.

Posted by: Sandy in Southern Crow Wing and Morrison County
on: 2010-08-07 09:58:02

This species is plentiful up here.

Posted by: Kelly in Karlstad- Kittson County
on: 2011-05-10 10:44:10

The farm I moved to is full of tansey! It loves my vegtable garden...Help!How do you get rid of it? I have pulled it up, when young, but established plants have an incredible root system. The problem after digging or pulling it up....then what? It does not seem to die, burning adult flowering plants seems to spread the seed! I do not like to use chemical herbicides in my garden but, that has not even killed it!!!!

Posted by: Gordon in Tenstrike ( N.E. of Bemidji)
on: 2011-07-15 22:29:32

Virtually all disturbed sites particularly roadsides and old fields. This should be on the noxious weed list. It spreads by seed and rhizome making dense mats in old fields. I am personally aware that it is widespread from Duluth westward to include Beltrami, Clearwater, Pennington, Marshall, Roseau, Kittson,Red lake, and Polk Counties and probably most counties. The comment about the smell is correct it STINKS.