 They say the early bird gets the worm. Well, this is true for more than just animals. Plants like to get an early start, too. White top or horry crest is an invasive weed that is one of the first to bloom in the spring. As the name suggests, white top has numerous white flowers. It's in the mustard family, so the flowers have four white petals. The seed pods are heart shaped and each contains two seeds. The plant can be up to two feet tall. White top is an incredibly aggressive weed because it can spread by roots and seeds. The roots can be three feet deep, but have been recorded to 30 feet deep in the Pacific Northwest. A single plant can spread 12 feet in diameter in one year. That same plant can produce 1200 to 4,800 seeds, all of which can germinate anytime in three years. White top likes to live on sunny, disturbed ground and grows well in Wyoming's alkaline soils. If white top was a good plant, all of these characteristics would be favorable. Unfortunately, it's unpalatable to most livestock and wildlife, spreads rapidly and creates a monoculture pushing out more desirable native species. You'll probably see this white flower early in the spring, but you won't be fooled by its beauty and charm. You'll know that white top is a nasty rangeland invader causing devastating natural resource and economic damage. From the University of Wyoming Extension, I'm Mae Smith, Exploring the Nature of Wyoming.