The Noxious Weed Horrors of Swamp Creek

Washington Conservation Corps crew member and plant enthusiast Colleen Braun hates noxious weeds. It makes her mad to see them invading into natural areas and taking over native plant habitat. So when Colleen and fellow WCC’er and photographer Cynthia Saleh ran into endless noxious weeds in a Swamp Creek wetland in North King County one hot summer day on the job, they put together this photo album to help educate the rest of us about what’s lurking out there in the swamp.  Follow along as Colleen is horrified by one scary invasive plant after another!

Policeman's helmet in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
Policeman’s helmet in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
Spotted jewelweed in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
Spotted jewelweed in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
Yellow archangel in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
Yellow archangel in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
yellow flag iris in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
Yellow flag iris in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
Bohemian knotweed in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
Bohemian knotweed in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
Bamboo in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
Bamboo in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
Bittersweet nightshade in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
Bittersweet nightshade in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
Himalayan blackberry in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
Himalayan blackberry in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
Hedge bindweed and Himalayan blackberry in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
Hedge bindweed and Himalayan blackberry in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
Hedge bindweed in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
Hedge bindweed in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
Scotch broom in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
Scotch broom in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
English laurel in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
English laurel in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
English ivy in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
English ivy in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
English ivy in Swamp Creek. Photo by Cynthia Saleh.
English ivy in Swamp Creek. Photo by Cynthia Saleh.
English holly in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
English holly in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
Knotweed and bittersweet nightshade in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh
Knotweed and bittersweet nightshade in Swamp Creek wetland, photo by Cynthia Saleh

For more information and photos of these and many more noxious and invasive weeds, check out our website. To get help on how to identify or control your noxious weeds, email us and we will do our best to help you!

For more information on Washington Conservation Corps, visit the website of the Washington State Department of Ecology.  Thank you Colleen and Cynthia for sharing your photos with us and for helping to fight these horrible noxious weeds in King County!

3 comments

    • I know what you mean! Still, it can be a fun challenge to take on an area and see what a big difference you can make over time. Just pick an area that’s not too big for what you can do! Native plants are really good at filling in when they are given a chance and a helping hand.

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