According to the USDA one of the most widely spread noxious plants that produces burs is the Noogoora Bur Xanthium occidentale. It is also called by it’s more common name the cocklebur or rough cocklebur. It grows wild all across the United States. This oval-shaped bur is almost an inch long and it is covered with curved spines that are sharp enough to pierce the skin. They are noxious and can be poisonous to domestic stock in the early stage of growth. At that stage they will cause skin irritations in people as well.

Noogoora will die off each year and then re plant from discarded seeds. The Noogoora bur seed can take root in any season at any time if temperature and water fall are complimentary to its needs. Annuals are plants that must produce seed to germinate. The plants will die each winter and the seeds that are left behind on the dead stems or carried away to new locations will begin a new bur infestation. In the case of annuals the method of burn off will likely kill this years plants but the seeds that survive in the ground will just produce the following year.

In Missouri fields I have seen single cocklebur plants about two feet tall with more than 100 burrs growing on them. In the optimum conditions and climate plants can grow up to two meters tall with thousands of seed-covered bur capsules. The Australian government released a report siting that their climate is said to encourage that kind of growth. According to their reports cotton imports from Mississippi in late 1800's included the Noogoora bur. The name came because Noogoora is reported to be the place in Australia where growth of this noxious weed was first discovered. Because of the wide spread invasion of Noogoora bur it is now illegal to take this bur or plant into Australia.

The University of Missouri in Columbia has a helpful online Weed ID Guide for identification of other more common weeds that produce burs. More well known burs include the connected sections of Florida Beggerweed Desmodium tortuosum or individuals like Queen Ann’s Lace Daucus carota. These burs are much smaller and just as likely to cling to clothing. Most people are more familiar with these burs. There are many other types of lesser known burs. Some with long sharp appendages that can break off in the skin and some so small that it can take hours to pick them off of clothing by hand. Learning to recognize the more common forms of bur producing weeds and avoiding areas where they grow is the best way to keep them from attachment.

f at all possible try to remove unwanted burs from clothing and boots before you leave the area. A unique bur remover product like BurzOff can make light work of the tedious hand picking of each bur. The surfaces of this recycled "stone" product are varried. This general bur removal tool has a rounded edge as well as a flat surface. The course, fine and smooth sides are ideal for different clothing materials and comfort in the hand.