Plants can be the inspiration for inventions. In the 1950s George de Mestrel, a Swiss mountaineer and inventor, took his dog for a mountain hike. They returned with the dog covered in burrs. He viewed the burrs under a microscope and saw small hooks that enabled it to cling. He imitated the hooks with nylon and named it Velcro after velours crochet which is French for 'velvet hook.’ Our local hitchhiker plants include the showy, yellow-flowered Buffalo Bur, which was named because burrs were spread by bison. Another hitchhiker is the low growing Buttercup Burr. Among the worst is the spiny cocklebur. It’s best to remove these plants before they go to seed.
Growing Home: Velcro
