Such a pretty little weed; it’s obviously a weed because it’s rampant along sidewalk areas and roadways where other unmanicured patches of growth happen. Meet the Puncture Vine (Tribulus cistoides) a native to tropical America, yet a nonnative to Florida. Hence the Puncture Vine is an invasive weed that I see routinely on my morning walks right now. During the spring it produces lovely little flowers seemingly attempting to hide it’s invasive personality. Later in the season spiny fruit form providing an aptly named warning for this plant: Puncture Vine. The sharp points of this fruit can puncture bike tires and injure bare feet of pedestrians and stick to animals and their fur. Now for me to remember my own warning later this year; I think I remember coming across it walking barefoot on a dune area last year. Copyright 2020 Pamela Breitberg
