This Photo of the Week features an invader that is taking over large swaths of the foothills above Boise. The culprit is Centaurea cyanus, a beautiful member of the aster family more commonly referred to as Bachelor's Buttons. Routinely planted throughout Boise gardens, the flower has escaped from the gardens made it way into the foothills where it has taken root with a passion. In the process, it chokes out native vegetation. Dense and deeply rooted, it occupies more and more territory. It makes its presence known in late spring, shortly after the native Arrowleaf Balsomroot has ceased its showy display.
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