Puncturevine

How to Identify and Remove Puncturevine (aka Goathead)

Scientific name: Tribulus terrestris

Life cycle: Annual (the plant has a full life cycle from seed-to-seed within a year)

Why it’s a problem:

It’s not native to Utah, and doesn't contribute to the ecosystems that it invades. Wildlife won't eat it.
It takes important resources from the ground that native plants need.
Often referred to as Goatheads, the seeds of Puncturevine are sharp enough to damage tires, feet, and paws.

Puncturevine in several of its stages

Click the arrows on the right and left-hand side of each photo, or swipe left or right on your phone to scroll through the slideshow.

How to remove Puncturevine

As much as it spreads, a Puncturevine plant only has 1 taproot. Once you find the taproot, it's pretty easy and satisfying to pull the plant out.

You can pull it out by hand, but wear tough gloves to protect your hands from sharp Goathead seeds.
A hand tool like the one pictured here is great for Puncturevine. Dig down under the plant and wedge the taproot in that little notch, then lever up.

If the plant hasn’t formed seeds, you can leave it on the ground so that its nutrients decompose back into the soil. HOWEVER, still double-check the ground all around the area for any Goathead seeds left behind from previous years. Even if they aren't still viable, they still hurt to step on and can still pop tires.

Once Puncturevine has seeds, it can potentially still grow new plants if left behind.

If you can’t bag the whole plant, try to at least sweep or rake up the spiky seeds and bag them up.
Invasive weed seeds are NOT green waste - they need to go in the garbage.

Make sure to check your shoes and clothes for any Goathead seeds stuck to you, and bag them up for the trash too. They're good at catching rides on you, your pets, and your equipment.

For more information on Puncturevine, check out Salt Lake County's website.

To get even more involved, join our project on iNaturalist!