Tuesday, August 21, 2007

THE STATE FLOWER IS A NOXIOUS WEED, SO SAYS OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS

If you are skeptical about the idea that a city would declare sunflower a weed and a noxious weed at that then please consult the Overland Park Municipal Code 7.20.120I:

"Weeds" shall mean to include, but not be limited to, barnyard grass (echinochloa
crusgalli); beggar tick, hemp (cannabis sativa); milkweed (asclepias syriacs); ... ragweed,
sunflower, common (helianthus annuus); swamp smartweed, tanweed, devil's shoestring (polygonum coccineum); tall
thistle (cirsium altissimum); ...
(History: Ord. NU-1376 '1, 86)

I couldn't make this up.