purple mustard, Chorispora tenella

Noxious! It was kind of neat to see these purple flowers next to that store's parking in Nebraska. But it turns out they're officially noxious. It is the property owner's legal responsibility to control purple rocket and other plants listed as noxious weeds. They even pay taxes for the privilege, and there's a county board that regulates the effort. So how come I found it? Well I suppose if it wasn't so successful, it wouldn't be so noxious. With purple rocket we get reduced crop yields and tainted milk, so it is a serious matter. Maybe I should have reported Walmart for insufficient weed control? Purple rocket has turned up in AR, AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, MA, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OH, OR, OK, PA, SD, TN, TX, UT, WA, WV, AB, BC, and SK. Lincoln Co NE, 6/15/13. Mustard family, Brassicaceae.