We’ve all had the experience of returning from a walk in a field or forest and discovered that parts of our clothing, socks or shoe laces are loaded with little seeds or burs. It can even be worse for dog owners.
Here is a look at the main culprits.
BURDOCKS
Burdocks come in two species and both have similar “burs” though the Great Burdock “burs” are larger than the Common Burdock “burs and have longer stalks.
Great Burdock
Common Burdock
TICK-TREFOILS
The seeds are called “ticks” and have nothing to do with insect “ticks.” The leaves are divided into three leaflets (“trefoil”)
Pointed-leaf Tick-trefoil has a pointed leaf.
Showy Tick-trefoil has linear leaves
Two plants have nicknames with the word “beggar” in it demonstrating the fact that they “hitch a ride”.
Beggar-ticks
Beggar’s-lice (Stickseed)
A few years ago, I released this Kinglet which had become ensnared in Beggar’s-lice.
Enchanter’s-nightshade
Hedge-parsley
Yellow Avens
I have seen photos of small birds like Kinglets also trapped in burdock where they had died
Thank you for this! I was wondering what hopped home with my husband and I after our hike. Now that I know that Pointed-Leaved Tick Trefoil is native I plan to plant them on my balcony.
Thank you for this page. I tried searching using proper botanical descriptive terms and wasted time. “Seeds that stick to clothing” got me right to this page and Stickseed. This plant showed up in a few different locations for the first time ever that I have observed (in 49 years) on my northwestern Michigan farm. Though its native, I am acting against it with prejudice. I pull the entire plant and send it to the landfill lest the seeds survive my casual compost pile.