Hoary alyssum
(Berteroa incana)
Information
Conservation • Weed • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Use • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List
not listed
NatureServe
NNA - Not applicable
SNA - Not applicable
Minnesota
not listed
Weed Status
Restricted Weed Seed
County Noxious Weed in Becker County
Hoary alyssum is listed as an invasive terrestrial plant by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, but it is not regulated statewide.
Description
The four petals are deeply divided, and look like eight petals arranged in four pairs.
The fruits are oblong and fat.
Height
10″ to 28″
Flower Color
White
Similar Species
Giant chickweed (Myosoton aquaticum), chickweeds (Stellaria spp.), and mouse-ear chickweeds (Cerastium spp.) have five petals, not four.
Spring Whitlow grass (Draba verna) is a very short plant, reaching only 3" at maturity. The leaves are all basal, the stems are leafless.
Habitat
Disturbed sites.
Ecology
Flowering
May to September
Pests and Diseases
Defense Mechanisms
This and other mustards (family Brassicaceae) produce chemical compounds when cells are damaged that are toxic to most animals, fungi, and bacteria.
Use
Distribution
Sources
2, 3, 5, 7, 24, 28, 29, 30, 83.
Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu. Accessed 1/9/2026).
Midwest Herbaria Portal. 2026. https://midwestherbaria.org/portal/index.php. Accessed 1/9/2026.
EDDMapS. 2013. Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System. The University of Georgia - Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health. Available online at www.eddmaps.org/. Accessed 1/9/2026.
Nativity
Native to Asia and Europe. Introduced and naturalized in North America.
Occurrence
Common
Taxonomy
Kingdom
Subkingdom
Pteridobiotina
Phylum
Tracheophyta (Vascular Plants)
Class
Order
Brassicales (Mustards, Capers, and Allies)
Family
Brassicaceae (Mustard)
Subfamily
Brassicoideae
Supertribe
Arabodae
Tribe
Alysseae
Genus
Berteroa
Subordinate Taxa
Synonyms
Alyssum incanum
Alyssum incanum var. trichocarpum
Alyssum viride
Berteroa ascendens var. microcarpa
Berteroa incana f. trichocarpa
Berteroa incana ssp. incana
Berteroa incana ssp. stricta
Berteroa incana var. bulgarica
Berteroa incana var. prolifera
Berteroa incana var. trichocarpa
Berteroa orbiculata var. stricta
Berteroa stricta
Berteroa stricta var. pindicola
Crucifera berteroa
Draba chaeirifolia
Draba cheiranthifolia
Draba cheirifolia
Draba cheiriformis
Draba dasycarpa
Farsetia incana
Moenchia incana
Vesicaria incana
Common Names
false hoary madwort
hoary alison
hoary alyssum
hoary berteroa
hoary false alyssum
hoary false madwort
hoary-alyssum
Photos
Visitor Photos
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Nancy Lundquist
Do you know what this is?
I took the photo almost 20 years ago and have never been able to identify it. It is a very tiny flower in with the grass.
Minnesota Seasons Photos
Slideshows
Slideshows
Videos
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Other Videos
Hoary Alyssum (Berteroa Incana) - 2012-09-13
W3stlander
Sightings
Visitor Sightings
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Nancy Lundquist
Summer 2025
Location: West St. Paul
Do you know what this is?
I took the photo almost 20 years ago and have never been able to identify it. It is a very tiny flower in with the grass.
Minnesota Seasons Sightings
Avon Hills Forest SNA, North Unit
Badoura Jack Pine Woodland SNA
Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park
Blazing Star Prairie Addition Preserve, South Unit
Carver Highlands WMA, South Unit
Charles A. Lindbergh State Park
Felton Prairie SNA, Bicentennial Unit
John Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley WMA
Kellogg Weaver Dunes SNA, Kellogg Weaver Unit
Lake Alexander Woods SNA, South Unit
Minnesota Valley NWR, Long Meadow Lake Unit
Minnesota Valley NWR, Louisville Swamp Unit
Minnesota Valley NWR, Rapids Lake Unit
Minnesota Valley NWR, Wilkie Unit
Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Touch the Sky Prairie Unit
Pembina Trail Preserve SNA, Crookston Prairie Unit
Sand Prairie Wildlife Management and Environmental Education Area