If you’ve made it outside on a recent sunny day, you’ve probably noticed the abundance of flowers blooming in gardens, parks, forests, and throughout King County right now. Unfortunately, the noxious weeds are out there, too—many of them bolting, flowering,… Read More ›
When noxious weed specialists Maria Winkler and Minwook Park drove down a quiet street on Vashon Island earlier this spring, they were alarmed to find a large, dense carpet of shiny geranium lining the road. It wasn’t the first time… Read More ›
Poison-hemlock, the toxic cousin of the carrot, is easy to spot in April. Look for the large mounds of bright green, lacy-looking leaves on stout, purple-spotted stems rising up above the grass. It’s important to recognize because poison-hemlock (Conium maculatum)… Read More ›
King County’s noxious weed specialists have their hands full this month and it isn’t going to get easier anytime soon. Top priority noxious weeds they are focusing on this month include garlic mustard, European coltsfoot, giant hogweed and shiny geranium…. Read More ›
As spring approaches, it’s a good time to reflect on what we can do this year to help the natural world here at home. Learning about and taking action to help stop the spread of invasive species is one great… Read More ›
There are three things I often hear about Scotch broom (or Scot’s broom, which may be the correct common name, but is not as commonly used). First, people tell me they hate this plant because they are allergic to it…. Read More ›
There are already a few noxious weeds you might spot flowering around here this month. Just today I noticed flowers on a spurge laurel plant I have potted up for education events. Spurge laurel (Daphne laureola) is a smallish evergreen… Read More ›
Weed control is hard work so it makes sense to look for ways to do less of it. Preventing weeds from moving to new places is one of the easiest things we can all do to reduce the need for… Read More ›
Native to Mexico and the Midwestern United States, buffalobur (Solanum rostratum) is an annoying—and painful—regulated Class C noxious weed in King County. While we’re just a truck ride from its native range, this plant has effectively spread all over the… Read More ›
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… Read More ›
