White Cockle is a noxious weed which is native of Europe. It prefers full sun and rich, well-drained soils.

Also known as White Campion or Evening Cockle, it is distinguished by its numerous radiant white flowers which have five notched pedals each. The leaves of this plant are soft with tiny hairs which are positioned opposite, up the stem of the plant. Plant height ranges from 25 cm to 125cm.

A similar plant often mistaken for White Cockle is Night-flowering Catchfly. The easiest way to distinguish the two plants is by feeling them. The stems and leaves of White Cockle are not sticky to the touch like those of Night-flowering Catchfly. Another weed which is commonly confused with White Cockle is Bladder Campion. The obvious difference between these two plants is that Bladder Campion has no hair on the leaves and stem, whereas White Cockle does.

White cockle can be a serious problem in small grains, alfalfa, clover, and grass seed fields. Its seeds are difficult to separate from commercially produced clover or alfalfa seed. Pastures, waste areas, railway tracks, grass embankments, and roadsides provide suitable sites for the plant to become established. This species is also found in many undisturbed areas where it can be mistaken for a native plant.

White Cockle can grow as a short-lived perennial or a biennial which begins growth in the early spring. Second year plants flower from June through September.

White Cockle reproduces by seed as well as through stem and root pieces which can sprout to form new plants. Not all White Cockle plants produce seeds since some plants are female and some are male. The plants that do though, the females, produce seeds in abundance.

• single plant can produce as many as twenty-four thousand seeds
• the seeds are grayish – orange and are kidney shaped
• seeds are 1mm - 2mm in diameter
• optimal germination temperatures for this weed are 20 – 30 degrees Celsius

The best control option for White Cockle is to stop the plant from going to seed. It is most easily controlled during the seedling stage. Cultural control can include mowing, cultivating, pulling, or burning. In the case of cultivation it must be deep enough to cut the roots off below the crown. The plants need to be turned up in order that they dry out, and this is best done during low moisture and high temperature conditions. If temperatures are cool and soil moisture high - cultivation may simply result in transplanting existing weeds. White Cockle shows resistance to a number of herbicides so check your Crop Protection Guide for management of this weed.

Be sure to use clean seed if seeding to forage or hay crops, as the clover sized seeds of White Cockle are a common impurity. It is also important to request the seed certificate when purchasing pedigreed seed.