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 ›
Weed of the Month
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 ›
Milk Thistle – May 2018 Weed of the Month
If you’ve ever walked barefoot in a field, chances are you’ve felt a thistle: those spiny-leaved plants that prick your feet and make you jump. Left unchecked, they produce purple or pink flowers at stem ends and plenty of seeds…. Read More ›
Poison-hemlock (Conium maculatum) April 2018 Weed of the Month
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 ›
European coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) March 2018 Weed of the Month
Just added to the Washington State Noxious Weed List in 2018, European coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) is still new to many of us in the noxious weed world. However, this interesting species has been used as a medicinal plant in China… Read More ›
Scotch Broom – February 2018 Weed of the Month
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 ›
Butterfly Bush – October 2017 Weed of the Month
Late fall is a great time to trim butterfly bush plants before the seeds fly away. Seeds can move 40 miles away on the wind and take root everywhere from roadsides to pristine rivers. The blooms have mostly lost their… Read More ›
Buffalobur – September 2017 Weed of the Month
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 ›
Garden Loosestrife – August 2017 Weed of the Month
What plant is so tough that it can outcompete common cattail (Typha latifolia), purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), and even Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus) along King County’s shores? Garden loosestrife (Lysimachia vulgaris), a Class B noxious weed from Eurasia, has managed… Read More ›
