Virginia Tech Dendrology

triangleleaf bursage Asteraceae Ambrosia deltoidea (Torr.) Payne symbol: AMDE4
Leaf: Alternate, simple, evergreen, distinctly triangular or with a wedge-shaped base, coarse serrate or toothed, nearly lobed, green above and covered in white pubescence, pale below, drought deciduous.
Flower: Dull yellow-green, in small clusters borne on a spike, present in late winter to early spring.
Fruit: A spiny round bur with slender spines, 1/2 inch in diameter.
Twig: Reddish brown with white pubescence, brittle, narrow leaf scars, resinous.
Bark: Reddish brown and becoming smooth and shiny, later becoming somewhat scaly or shallowly ridged and furrowed.
Form: A gangling, sprawling shrub to 2 feet tall.
Looks like: San Diego bursage - canyon ragweed - white bursage

Additional Range Information: Ambrosia deltoidea is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information