Learn how to identify common invasive plant species Learn how to identify and report EDRR species Learn

characteristics of invasive plant species Learn plant removal/control strategies Learn about additional resources

A weed is generally defined as a plant growing where you don t want it to

Non-Native - "Exotic", "alien", and "non-

indigenous" to a region Invasive those that spread into areas where they are not native & are ecosystem altering Ecosystem Altering those that replace native vegetation greatly changing the character of ecosystems, affecting wildlife, water quality, etc. Noxious regulatory designation; species or groups of species that have been legally designated as serious invasives, injurious to agricultural and/or horticultural crops, natural habitats and/or ecosystems, and/or humans or livestock.

Rapid growth and maturity Prolific seed production Highly successful seed dispersal, germination and colonization Rampant vegetative growth Ability to out-compete native species High cost and effort to remove or control Some allelopathic chemically change soil

INVASIVE SPECIES ARE A MAJOR THREAT TO NATIVE SPECIES AND HABITATS (SECOND ONLY TO HABITAT DESTRUCTION)

Oregon (38%) North Dakota (85%) California (45%) Utah (43%) Washington (42%)

Prevention or Eradication simple (save $$)

Local control and management only (Expensive)

Acres Infested

Introduction Detection: focus resources here Time

Control Costs

         

Humans Pets Wildlife Water Wind Vehicles Machinery Wildflower mixes Wildflower We plant them Soil disturbance

Early detection and rapid response is the most low-impact and cost-effective way to address the problem invasive plants, short of preventing the problem in the first place.

Class A EDRR-top priority; Class B wide spread Class T Target Weeds Local EDRR programs direct most control efforts.
Class A Weeds Class B Weeds

Images courtesy of Tim Butler, Oregon Dept. of Agriculture

Photo by Eric Coombs, Oregon Department of Agriculture

Silver
False Brome, Pokeweed, Garlic Mustard, Spurge laurel, Butterfly Bush, Yellow Flag Iris, Purple Loosestrife, Knotweed, Travelers Joy, Scots Broom, Ivy, Giant Hogweed, Himalayan Blackberry, Gorse, Meadow Hawkweed, Pampas/jubata grass, Spotted and Diffuse Knapweed, Policemans Helmet

Gold
Shining and Robert Geranium, Hedge Bindweed, Lesser Celandine, Scots Brome, Evergreen blackberry, Norway Maple*, Tree-of-heaven*, English Holly* (*Large trees exempt for gold but not for Platinum level), Yellow Archangel, Purple Star Thistle

Platinum
Spatulaleaf Loosestrife, Large and Small-leaf Periwinkle, Fennel, Reed Canarygrass, Creeping buttercup.

Prevention is the most effective practice of all!

 

 

Buy clean seed/birdfeed; dont plant weeds! don Clean yard equipment after working on weedy sites Dont invite weeds amend and plant disturbed areas quickly Use mulch materials or weed mats Pull weeds early before they go to seed! Be cautious at garden swaps Research exotic ornamentals

Annuals - Plants that perform their entire life cycle from seed to flower to seed within a single growing season. All roots, stems and leaves of the plant die annually. Only the dormant seed bridges the gap between one generation and the next. Biennials - Plants which require two years to complete their life cycle. First season growth results in a small rosette of leaves near the soil surface. During the second season's growth stem elongation, flowering and seed formation occur followed by the entire plant's death. Perennials - Plants that persist for many growing seasons. Vegetative Reproduction - Vegetative reproduction is a form of asexual reproduction in plants. It does not involve flowers, pollination and seed production. Instead, a new plant grows from a vegetative part, usually a stem, of the parent plant.

Mechanical

Mowing, hand pulling, cutting, burning Shading, plant appropriate competitive vegetation Parasites, predators, and pathogens; typically a slow process Spraying, painting, usually most effective in fall; FOLLOW THE LABEL

Cultural

Biological

Chemical

WMSWCD recommends utilizing a licenced contractor. If utilizing over-the-counter products read and follow the label carefully! Understand toxicity:

 Grow Smart Grow Safe

http://www.oregonmetro.gov/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=24199/level=1  MSDS Safety Sheets http://www.cdms.net/LabelsMsds/

Understand the herbicide your using (& its surfactants) and the best time to apply! Watch the weather before you apply herbicide (wind & precipatation).

Five leaflets Deciduous to partially evergreen Spread by seeds, rhizome, tips

Images: www.kingcounty.gov

Image: www.kingcounty.gov

Woody shrub to 10 ft tall Showy, yellow flowers Small leaves Ridged bark Seeds in pods that burst and scatter
Image: Eric Coombs, ODA .

Up to 15 ft tall, deciduous Very Pretty pink, violet, or blue flower spikes Leaves velvety, lance-shaped, gray-green

Image: Tom Forney, ODA

Image: OSU

Evergreen shrub/tree Primarily spread by birds Up to 50 feet tall and 15 feet wide Grows well in deep shade

Images: King County

Deciduous shrub or small tree to 15 ft tall with smooth, pale gray bark Leaves are 3-lobed, flowers are white and showy, dark red berries Stout thorns up to 1 inch!

Image: King County

Tall tree to 80 ft with smooth gray bark and large compound leaves Leaves are comprised of 11-41 leaflets/leaf Flowers are yellowpink borne in clusters, developing into dry, reddish-brown fruits. Fruits are paperywinged w/ a single seed in center. Allelopathic

Leslie J. Mehrhoff, Invasive Plant Atlas of New England, University of Connecticut

Chuck Bargeron, The University of Georgia

Paul Wray, Iowa State University

Biennial forb Allelopathic Most abundant in Oregon in our area Spread by people, animals, equipment

Nate Woodward

Chris Evans, River to River CWMA, Bugwood.org

Nate Woodward Chris Evans, River to River CWMA, Bugwood.org

Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org

March of 1st year through March of 2nd year 1 6 tall

Late March to Early April in Second Year the Plant Bolts

Flowers mid-April Full height Up to 4 ft tall

Seed pods by Mid-May Dry stalks by July

Red stems

Tiny pink-purple flowers

Leaves have waxy sheen

Shiny, round, obtusely lobed leaves that turn red toward the end of summer. Flowers from spring until late July.

Deeply dissected leaves that turn red in the fall

Emits odor when crushed

Sticky feel

Perennial forb Several species Spreads very quickly in rivers, streams Very, very hard to kill

Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org

Mark Folsom, Bugwood.org

Barbara Tokarska-Guzik, University of Silesia, Bugwood.org

Japanese P. cuspidatum

King County

Clallam Co, WA

 

1 to 4+ ft tall Sword-like leaves, spongy midrib Leaves in a fanlike, overlapping arrangement. 3-sided, shiny green fruit Blooms late spring/early Summer

Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org

Nancy Loewenstein, Auburn University, Bugwood.org

Joseph M. DiTomaso, University of California - Davis, Bugwood.org

Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)

Loosestrife family (Lythraceae) *Native to Eurasia

Stems square 4 sided

Leaves lance shaped, stalkless and opposite or whorled Sauvie Island

Flowers July Sept. 5-7 Petals

California Dept. of Food & Agriculture

Ohio State Weed Lab Archive, The Ohio State University, Bugwood.org

(Check out Oaks Bottom or Sauvie Island for real live specimens!)

LOOK FOR:
 Dark green, shiny leaves  Yellow flowers with eight

WHEN

petals  Pale colored blublets on stem

 March through May

WHERE

Tom Forney, ODA

forested floodplains, in some drier upland areas, and seems to prefer sandy soils. USE CAUTION Caltha papalustris (marsh marigold) = colored sepals Ranunculus ficaria = sepals and petals So if it looks like it DOESN'T have sepals, it's Caltha. *Another lookalike (C. leptosepela) but has white-greenish flowers. *And anotherDeer Cabbage (Fauria crista-galli) w/ leaf lobe bases that dont overlap and very different, white fused flowers (different family: Menyanthaceae)

 It typically grows on moist

Vigorous woody perrenial Small white flowers in tight clusters Spread by birds & stem fragments Wear gloves sap may cause dermatitis Is really, really, really evil!

Nate Woodard

Forest & Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, Bugwood.org

Perennial, deciduous, woody vine Usually five leaflets Blankets vegetation On the increase in our area White, puffy seed tails

Jan Samanek, State Phytosanitary Administration, Bugwood.org

King county

Herbaceous vine Smothers plants, very tough on young plantings Very fast growing, even after cut back

Tom Heutte, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org

Brian Sugerman, The Ohio State University, Bugwood.org

Ohio State Weed Lab Archive, The Ohio State University, Bugwood.org

Herbacious, evergreen perennial. Grows dense trailing mat. Flowers small, yellow and hooded growing in clusters around the stem. Leaves opposite, oval and hairy w/ coarsely tooted edges.

King County

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Hairy leaves Spikelets on short stalks Chartreuse-colored squatty bunches
Bruce Newhouse

SIMILAR SPECIES
Columbia brome (Bromus vulgaris) Blue wildrye (Elymus glaucus)

WHEN TO LOOK
Throughout the year

WHERE TO LOOK
False brome grows primarily in coniferous forest understory, but is also invading riparian forests, forest edges, and upland prairies.

OSU

Erect perrennial herb 4-10 feet tall finely dissected, almost feathery leaves strong anise scent flowers are yellow and small (onequarter inch across), and are clustered in large, rounded, umbrellalike groups

John M. Randall, The Nature Conservancy, Bugwood.org

Pokeweed
Smooth purplish stem

Pytolacca americana

Up to 10 ft

Leaves alternate, simple and entire

10-celled fleshy berry w/ crimson juice

Robert H. Mohlenbrock. USDA NRCS.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Massively tall plant (15-20 ft). Large umbrella shaped flowers. Hollow stalks with red-purple blotches that have a single erect hair in the center. Large (2.5-3ft wide) deeply incised leaves Seeds almost inch!

WHEN TO LOOK
Look for flowers in May through July.

WHERE TO LOOK
Unmaintained urban areas, vacant lots, and areas near know establishments, roadsides, streams, rivers, and riparian areas.

Photos Provided by: Michigan Department of Agriculture, Pesticide, Plant Pest Management Div. & U. S. Dept. of Agriculture Animal & Plant Health Inspction Service Plant Protection & Quarantine

Cow Parsnip (Heracleum lanatum)

Soft & Fuzzy Hair

Angelica (Angelica atropurpurea)

Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum)

Photos Provided by: Michigan Department of Agriculture, Pesticide, Plant Pest Management Div. & U. S. Dept. of Agriculture Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service Plant Protection & Quarantine

Daphne laureola (Thymelaeaceae Family) *Native to Europe and Mediterranian region

 Leaves alternate and spirally

arranged and cluster at the shoot tips.  Leaves dark green and shiny on top and lighter on the underside.  yellow-green, bell-shaped flowers that emit a honey-like fragrance.  Green unripe and black ripe berries. WHEN  It is found year-round, blooming March - May.

CAUTION! TOXIC

Inventory the plants on your property & determine goals Do you have a weed problem? Why? What can you change about the way you manage your property to decrease the weed population?

ENGLISH IVY

Determine appropriate controls, goals and a maintence plan (try to tackle your property piece by piece protect the best first!) Monitor for invasive plants many need multiple years of treatment Quickly plant/cover disturbed areas that have been treated Remember that land stewardship is ongoing

Put fresh noxious and perennial weed material in your garbage Dont add it to your compost bin or yard debris cart; especially seeds or root material Dont leave any root parts or seeds in wet areas; they will sprout!

Know the enemy & teach others about them Grow native & non-invasive wherever possible Help others to do the same Help the public with information on treatment Monitor and report new invaders Check clothes, vehicles, pets when out & about

Don t share unless you know it s not invasive Check seed mixes before you buy them Stay away from generic wildflower mixtures Watch for hitchhikers in nursery stock Use weed-free soil and mulch Watch introductions for aggressive behavior Don t dump your yard clippings in the wild!

Deadhead faithfully Use root barriers Dispose of plant material properly bagged in the garbage or burned (completely) Please don t share your invader with others! Contain it, control it, or cage it!

Always wash new introductions (think snails) Keep water garden separate from native waters Never dump water garden materials or water into native waters Research your plants for invasive potential many commonly used aquatics are!

Spring Trainings Coming Soon! Clackamas:

 March 21, Oregon City OR

 March 28, Canby OR

Multnomah:
 Tentatively May 11th & 12th,

Portland Check CWMA Website for additional opportunities: http://4countycwma.org/events/

Weeds of the West Western US Cooperative Extension Services Tom Whitson, Editor; 2001 Northwest Weeds Ronald J. Taylor; 2003 Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast Jim Pojar and Andy Mackinnon; 1994 Flora of the Pacific Northwest Hitchcock & Cronquist; 1973 Handbook of Northwestern Plants Helen Gilkey and LaRea J. Dennis; 2001 Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest Arthur Kruckeberg; 2003 Trees and Shrubs for Pacific Northwest Gardens John Grant, et. al.; 2003 GardenSmart Oregon Portland BES Urbanizing Flora of Portland 1806-2008 Christy et. Al. 2009

A complete list of links, a copy of my PowerPoint slide show, Weed Watcher trainings and other resources: y 4-County Cooperative Weed Management Area: http://4countycwma.org/ State Noxious Weed Lists and Descriptions: y Oregon State Noxious Weed List: http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/PLANT/WEEDS/lists.shtml y Washington State Noxious Weed List: http://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weed_list/weed_list.htm General invasive species information including control information, descriptions and photos: y Oregon Invasive Species Council: http://www.oregon.gov/OISC/index.shtml y Oregon Flora Project: http://www.oregonflora.org/ y Noxious Weeds, King County: y http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/animalsandplants/noxious-weeds.aspx y The Nature Conservancy Stewardship Abstracts: http://www.imapinvasives.org/GIST/ESA/index.html y Western Invasives Network: http://www.westerninvasivesnetwork.org/ y Pacific Northwest Invasive Plants Council: http://www.pnw-ipc.org/index.shtml y Center for Invasive Plant Management: http://www.weedcenter.org/index.html y Pacific Northwest Weed Management Handbook: http://pnwhandbooks.org/weed/ y National Invasive Species Clearinghouse: www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov y USDA PLANTS Database: http://plants.usda.gov/java/\ y Invasive.org: http://www.invasive.org/ Reporting EDRR Weeds: y Oregon Invasives Hotline: www.oregoninvasiveshotline.org Published Guides to Pacific Northwest invaders and environmentally friendly alternatives: y GardenSmart Oregon: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pdf/ec/ec1620.pdf y Plant it Right: http://www.plantright.org/ y GardenWise Washington: http://www.nwcb.wa.gov/education/Western_Garden_Wise_Web.pdf

Mary Logalbo, 4 County CWMA Chair mary@wmswcd.org 503-238-4775 General CWMA Questions: Elena Cronin, 4 County CWMA Coordinator info@4countycwma.org