The story behind this month’s noxious weed is sadly ironic. First introduced from the Middle East to Utah in 1891 as a possible forage plant, it soon became evident that it contained a poisonous alkaloid making it toxic to livestock… Read More ›
Weed of the Month
Milk Thistle – March 2020 Weed of the Month
Milk thistle is a perfect example of how plants can have both positive and negative impacts. On the one hand, milk thistle is a Class A noxious weed and quarantined species in Washington because of its negative impacts on pastures… Read More ›
Orange Hawkweed – June 2019 Weed of the Month
There are few flowers so intensely flame-colored as orange hawkweed. This plant truly deserves one of its common names, Devil’s Paintbrush, both for its fiery colors and for its devilish behavior as a noxious weed in North America. When orange… Read More ›
Yellow Archangel – April 2019 Weed of the Month
Yellow archangel (Lamiastrum galeobdolon) stirs up a lot of passion for some people, usually very negative. It is one of the plants we get the most questions about, either because it is spreading like crazy or because it has mysteriously… Read More ›
Spurge Laurel – February 2019 Weed of the Month
Spurge laurel (Daphne laureola) may have escaped your notice so far, or you may have written it off as a weird-looking rhododendron. It isn’t a true laurel and it certainly isn’t a spurge, but rather it is one of many… Read More ›
English Holly – December 2018 Weed of the Month
English holly’s red berries and beautiful, glossy green leaves evoke warm, holiday cheer for many. Unfortunately, we are also becoming all too familiar with seeing this plant along hiking trails and in out-of-the-way forests. Sadly, English holly is beginning to… Read More ›
Field Bindweed – September 2018 Weed of the Month
Weeds are, unfortunately, a common sight, but it takes a special kind of weed to make the “World’s Top 10 Worst Weeds List.” Field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), a non-regulated Class C noxious weed, is one of them. If you’ve ever… Read More ›
Brazilian Elodea – August 2018 Weed of the Month
Have you visited a lake or river to swim on one of these hot summer days, only to find the water thick with submerged plants? Some of those aquatic plants are natives, but others are nasty invasive species that can… Read More ›
Purple Loosestrife – July 2018 Weed of the Month
Although it is perhaps one of the prettiest noxious weeds, purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), is widely recognized throughout North America as a highly invasive and damaging weed in wetlands and along shorelines. Vigorous perennial roots and rhizomes combined with incredibly… Read More ›
Himalayan Blackberry – June 2018 Weed of the Month
If Washington ever decided on a state weed, Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus) would be a strong contender. Some people hate its thorns, some love its berries, but almost everyone has a strong opinion about it. Yet, for all its fame,… Read More ›
