Wildflower - Yellow Toadflax

A wildflower with a common name of Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris) may bring negative connotations related to its appearance, but I find another common name,Butter-and-Eggs, more descriptive for this wildflower.

Butter-and-Eggs is native to most of Europe and northern Asia, and has been introduced to flower gardens, escaped and is now common in North America. Butter-and-Eggs is classified as an invasive plant and these flowers seeded themselves along a stone wall in front of our barn. While it is listed as an invasive plant I find it easy to control and easy to look at.



Butter-and-Eggs derives its name from the two-toned color of the flower, with the yellow representing butter and the orange relating to the color of an egg yoke. It is a member of the Figwort family (Scrophulariaceae) and the Butter-and-Eggs flowers are similar to those of the snapdragon.



Butter-and-Eggs has a preference for full sun, dry conditions, and barren soil that is gravelly or sandy. I mostly find this flower growing along the edge of roads.