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Invasive plants in the Willamette Valley
Noxious Weed List
WeedMapper is a collection of spatial information on the distribution
of weeds in the state of Oregon. The site shows known locations
of noxious weeds throughout the state as collected by responsible
federal, state, and local agencies.
Maps are viewable at the state or county level.
Check to see if your state has one.
100 of the worst invasive species
Simple solutions for invasive plants
Seth Cool, InvasiveSpeciesCoalition.org
Whether you've battled dandelions or bindweed in your back yard, pulled ivy from your trees or noticed trees in Seattle's natural areas engulfed by clematis vines, you've noticed the spread of invasive plants.
Invasive plants are a problem, but you may not be aware that often the solutions are simple, as reported Nov. 30 in a Seattle Post-Intelligencer article. The Invasive Species Coalition is working to help consumers choose better plants for their yards.
Invasive plants can be a nuisance in our yards, but the most devastating impacts occur when they spread to wild areas. Mature ivy produces berries that birds spread to wild areas, where it can out-compete native forest plants and add weight to tree branches, increasing breakage. Scotch broom increases nitrogen levels in native grasslands, a change that intensifies in older stands and may persist for years after broom is removed.
Native plants are not only important in their own right but also provide food and habitat for wildlife. For example, salmon have evolved to depend on bugs that feed on leaves, fruits and flowers of native plants. Recent studies found that Japanese knotweed replaces native riverside alder and cottonwood forests; it returns less nitrogen through fallen leaves into streams than natives, providing less food for aquatic bugs that salmon eat.
Invasive plants increasingly are taking hold and altering wild areas. Invasives already choke 3.6 million acres of national forests and invasives advance by 1.7 million acres annually. The combined annual cost of invasive species to the U.S. economy is a staggering $138 billion.
Settlers, gardeners and landscapers introduced many invasive plants intentionally. Scotch broom was introduced by settlers as an ornamental and is no longer sold; ivy was introduced during colonial times. Atlantic ivy (sometimes sold as English ivy) and ornamental fennel are examples of invasive species still sold at many nurseries. By limiting the presence and use of those plants, gardeners and landscapers can help stop the spread.
The good news is that only a handful of garden plants are invasive. Many plants, including rose bushes, lilacs, rhododendrons and most trees, are not a problem. However, some ivies, butterfly bush, English holly and a few other species are or are becoming a serious threat to biodiversity and our wildlands.
To help protect our region's beauty and biodiversity, you can remove invasive plants from your yard. To find out which garden plants are invasive, ask your local nursery, your county's noxious weed board or visit our Web site. Dig up these plants, bag them in plastic and place in the trash (check with your solid waste utility first). Not sure what to plant instead? Your local nursery or our Web site can help.
Seth Cool is program coordinator for the Washington Invasive Species Coalition (www.invasivespeciescoalition.org).
What You Can Do to Prevent Species Invasion
Gleaned from the Union of Concerned Scientists
You can help stop the introduction and spread of harmful invaders
in your community and conserve biodiversity.
Gardening
If you don't know it, don't grow it! Avoid buying or growing plants that are known to be invasive such as Scotch Broom (above), purple loosestrife, English ivy, and Oriental bittersweet. Be especially careful when buying plants and seeds on the internet or by mail order—you may unknowingly contribute to the spread of an invasive species from one part of the country to another. Although some companies have voluntarily withdrawn known invasives from sale or labeled these species high risk, many have not. Lists of known invaders can be obtained from state and federal agencies as well as non-profit groups such as The Nature Conservancy, state Native Plant Societies, and various Exotic Pest Plant Councils. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service maintains a comprehensive plant data base that includes invasive species. (See related links.)
If you see your local nursery selling invasive plants or seeds, let them know about your concerns. Most are interested in avoiding problem species and will listen. The Maryland Native Plant Society has designed a card that you can use to draw business' attention to invaders, which can be downloaded from the society's website. (See related links.)
Avoid buying and planting mixtures of seeds, especially ones labeled "wildflowers." Many contain invasive species. Others are too poorly labeled to tell.
Landscape and garden with plants native to your area. Although many non-native plants are not invasive and can be grown without risk, emphasizing natives (especially pollinator-friendly species) can provide other advantages such as food, cover, or nesting sites for butterflies and birds. Native plants also require less water, fertilizers and pesticides. Contact your library or state's Native Plant Society for ideas on gardening with native species.
Don't dump your aquatic plants or aquarium water into local waters. Many plants for water gardens and aquaria are highly invasive. Eurasian watermilfoil, a notorious aquatic weed that spreads rapidly and replaces natives, is one example of a plant that became established after being discarded from a personal aquarium.
Be a good neighbor. Never dispose of unwanted plants or lawn or garden clippings in a nearby park or natural area. Invasive plants can spread from plant fragments, seeds, and berries.
Boating and Fishing
Never transport water, animals, or plants from one waterbody to another—either intentionally or accidentally! In particular, do not release live fish, including bait, into a new body of water.
Remove all aquatic plants and animals from hulls, propellers, intakes, trailers, and gear before leaving a launch area. Where known invaders are present, dispose of these organisms where they won't wash back into the water. Always wash boats and other equipment land-side before traveling to a new waterway.
Take extra precautions where zebra mussels, Eurasian watermilfoil and other damaging invaders are established. Wash boats and equipment with hot (104°) high-pressure tapwater or dry for 5 days before using them in another waterbody.
Anglers should be sure to remove suspicious material from and wash all fishing tackle, downriggers and lines to prevent spreading small, larval forms of aquatic invaders.
Drain the water in bait buckets, live wells, and transom wells on land where aquatic invaders are a concern or back into the water from which it was taken, where they are not.
Pets
Buy from reputable dealers whose non-native pets are properly labeled, legally imported, and not harboring foreign pests and diseases that can spread to indigenous wildlife.
Don't release aquarium fish of any kind into a natural body of water. Some ornamental fish can and have established themselves in the wild with deleterious effects on native biodiversity. If you no longer want your pet fish, return it to a local pet shop for resale or trade, give it to another hobbyist, or donate it to a school, nursing home, or hospital.
Don't release other pets, either. Rabbits can threaten rare native habitats and cats prey on small mammals and birds. Some pet amphibians and reptiles may prey on a wide variety of native species and others carry diseases.
Protect your pets, yourself, and wildlife from new diseases and vectors. Drain backyard containers where invasive mosquitoes breed.
Traveling
Never smuggle or carry fruit, seeds, live plants, berries, soil, insects, snails, lizards, snakes, or other animals into or out of the United States.
Within the country, don't transport items such as hay, wood, soil, sod or gravel from one part to another. They may contain fungi, seeds, diseases, insects, or other potentially invasive organisms.
Wash your boots before you hike in a new area. Weed seeds are common hitchhikers.
Abide by local and international quarantines to prevent the spread of serious insect pests (like the Asian long-horned beetle), weeds (like witchweed), and diseases (like foot-and-mouth disease).
top of page
FairUse
Sustainable Life Info Copyright © 2006-2008 DLH Business Associates.
All Rights Reserved.
Noxious Weed List
WeedMapper is a collection of spatial information on the distribution
of weeds in the state of Oregon. The site shows known locations
of noxious weeds throughout the state as collected by responsible
federal, state, and local agencies.
Maps are viewable at the state or county level.
Check to see if your state has one.
100 of the worst invasive species
Simple solutions for invasive plants
Seth Cool, InvasiveSpeciesCoalition.org
Whether you've battled dandelions or bindweed in your back yard, pulled ivy from your trees or noticed trees in Seattle's natural areas engulfed by clematis vines, you've noticed the spread of invasive plants.
Invasive plants are a problem, but you may not be aware that often the solutions are simple, as reported Nov. 30 in a Seattle Post-Intelligencer article. The Invasive Species Coalition is working to help consumers choose better plants for their yards.
Invasive plants can be a nuisance in our yards, but the most devastating impacts occur when they spread to wild areas. Mature ivy produces berries that birds spread to wild areas, where it can out-compete native forest plants and add weight to tree branches, increasing breakage. Scotch broom increases nitrogen levels in native grasslands, a change that intensifies in older stands and may persist for years after broom is removed.
Native plants are not only important in their own right but also provide food and habitat for wildlife. For example, salmon have evolved to depend on bugs that feed on leaves, fruits and flowers of native plants. Recent studies found that Japanese knotweed replaces native riverside alder and cottonwood forests; it returns less nitrogen through fallen leaves into streams than natives, providing less food for aquatic bugs that salmon eat.
Invasive plants increasingly are taking hold and altering wild areas. Invasives already choke 3.6 million acres of national forests and invasives advance by 1.7 million acres annually. The combined annual cost of invasive species to the U.S. economy is a staggering $138 billion.
Settlers, gardeners and landscapers introduced many invasive plants intentionally. Scotch broom was introduced by settlers as an ornamental and is no longer sold; ivy was introduced during colonial times. Atlantic ivy (sometimes sold as English ivy) and ornamental fennel are examples of invasive species still sold at many nurseries. By limiting the presence and use of those plants, gardeners and landscapers can help stop the spread.
The good news is that only a handful of garden plants are invasive. Many plants, including rose bushes, lilacs, rhododendrons and most trees, are not a problem. However, some ivies, butterfly bush, English holly and a few other species are or are becoming a serious threat to biodiversity and our wildlands.
To help protect our region's beauty and biodiversity, you can remove invasive plants from your yard. To find out which garden plants are invasive, ask your local nursery, your county's noxious weed board or visit our Web site. Dig up these plants, bag them in plastic and place in the trash (check with your solid waste utility first). Not sure what to plant instead? Your local nursery or our Web site can help.
Seth Cool is program coordinator for the Washington Invasive Species Coalition (www.invasivespeciescoalition.org).
What You Can Do to Prevent Species Invasion
Gleaned from the Union of Concerned Scientists
You can help stop the introduction and spread of harmful invaders
in your community and conserve biodiversity.
Gardening
If you don't know it, don't grow it! Avoid buying or growing plants that are known to be invasive such as Scotch Broom (above), purple loosestrife, English ivy, and Oriental bittersweet. Be especially careful when buying plants and seeds on the internet or by mail order—you may unknowingly contribute to the spread of an invasive species from one part of the country to another. Although some companies have voluntarily withdrawn known invasives from sale or labeled these species high risk, many have not. Lists of known invaders can be obtained from state and federal agencies as well as non-profit groups such as The Nature Conservancy, state Native Plant Societies, and various Exotic Pest Plant Councils. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service maintains a comprehensive plant data base that includes invasive species. (See related links.)
If you see your local nursery selling invasive plants or seeds, let them know about your concerns. Most are interested in avoiding problem species and will listen. The Maryland Native Plant Society has designed a card that you can use to draw business' attention to invaders, which can be downloaded from the society's website. (See related links.)
Avoid buying and planting mixtures of seeds, especially ones labeled "wildflowers." Many contain invasive species. Others are too poorly labeled to tell.
Landscape and garden with plants native to your area. Although many non-native plants are not invasive and can be grown without risk, emphasizing natives (especially pollinator-friendly species) can provide other advantages such as food, cover, or nesting sites for butterflies and birds. Native plants also require less water, fertilizers and pesticides. Contact your library or state's Native Plant Society for ideas on gardening with native species.
Don't dump your aquatic plants or aquarium water into local waters. Many plants for water gardens and aquaria are highly invasive. Eurasian watermilfoil, a notorious aquatic weed that spreads rapidly and replaces natives, is one example of a plant that became established after being discarded from a personal aquarium.
Be a good neighbor. Never dispose of unwanted plants or lawn or garden clippings in a nearby park or natural area. Invasive plants can spread from plant fragments, seeds, and berries.
Boating and Fishing
Never transport water, animals, or plants from one waterbody to another—either intentionally or accidentally! In particular, do not release live fish, including bait, into a new body of water.
Remove all aquatic plants and animals from hulls, propellers, intakes, trailers, and gear before leaving a launch area. Where known invaders are present, dispose of these organisms where they won't wash back into the water. Always wash boats and other equipment land-side before traveling to a new waterway.
Take extra precautions where zebra mussels, Eurasian watermilfoil and other damaging invaders are established. Wash boats and equipment with hot (104°) high-pressure tapwater or dry for 5 days before using them in another waterbody.
Anglers should be sure to remove suspicious material from and wash all fishing tackle, downriggers and lines to prevent spreading small, larval forms of aquatic invaders.
Drain the water in bait buckets, live wells, and transom wells on land where aquatic invaders are a concern or back into the water from which it was taken, where they are not.
Pets
Buy from reputable dealers whose non-native pets are properly labeled, legally imported, and not harboring foreign pests and diseases that can spread to indigenous wildlife.
Don't release aquarium fish of any kind into a natural body of water. Some ornamental fish can and have established themselves in the wild with deleterious effects on native biodiversity. If you no longer want your pet fish, return it to a local pet shop for resale or trade, give it to another hobbyist, or donate it to a school, nursing home, or hospital.
Don't release other pets, either. Rabbits can threaten rare native habitats and cats prey on small mammals and birds. Some pet amphibians and reptiles may prey on a wide variety of native species and others carry diseases.
Protect your pets, yourself, and wildlife from new diseases and vectors. Drain backyard containers where invasive mosquitoes breed.
Traveling
Never smuggle or carry fruit, seeds, live plants, berries, soil, insects, snails, lizards, snakes, or other animals into or out of the United States.
Within the country, don't transport items such as hay, wood, soil, sod or gravel from one part to another. They may contain fungi, seeds, diseases, insects, or other potentially invasive organisms.
Wash your boots before you hike in a new area. Weed seeds are common hitchhikers.
Abide by local and international quarantines to prevent the spread of serious insect pests (like the Asian long-horned beetle), weeds (like witchweed), and diseases (like foot-and-mouth disease).
top of page
FairUse
Sustainable Life Info Copyright © 2006-2008 DLH Business Associates.
All Rights Reserved.
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REMOVING IVY FROM TREES
Herbicides are useless on ivy, because its waxy foliage repels them. When sprayed, any herbicide simply runs off to damage nearby plants and pollute water systems.
To get rid of ivy, remove the vines from trees, peeling off as much as you can reach from each trunk. Clearing five or six feet of trunk is ideal. If you miss a few stubborn scraps here and there, don't worry about it. The main point is to be sure that none of the vines remain uncut.
As a rule, cut ivy takes a year to turn brown, two years to defoliate, and about three years to fall off the trees by itself.
Next, pull away as much ivy as possible from the trunk at ground level. You probably will miss a few roots, but they won't all sprout back. Check your cleared areas each year, doing this three or four times the first year and annually thereafter. You can quickly uproot any new ivy shoots that appear, along with any seedlings.
Where large patches of ivy cover the ground, the elegant jellyroll method is preferred. Pick an edge and pull the ivy back like a sheet. If you are in the middle of a woodland, make an edge with a sharp shovel or edging tool. Roll the ivy back like a carpet, slicing away the roots with a sharp edging tool. Two people can do this amazingly quickly, one rolling and the other cutting.
A deep layer of coarse shredded bark or wood chips makes an effective smother mulch for ivy. As little as three inches of wood chips helps to suppress most of the ivy, while 8 to 10 inches will kill 80 percent of ground cover ivy in about three months.
That is the easiest way to clear large infestations, since it is much easier to dump chips on ivy than to tug it all out. Arborists and road crews are good sources for free wood chips, as are some municipalities.
Don't put ivy on the compost pile. Where curbside green-waste recycling service is available, bag your ivy or pack it into the disposal service's pickup totes.
Herbicides are useless on ivy, because its waxy foliage repels them. When sprayed, any herbicide simply runs off to damage nearby plants and pollute water systems.
To get rid of ivy, remove the vines from trees, peeling off as much as you can reach from each trunk. Clearing five or six feet of trunk is ideal. If you miss a few stubborn scraps here and there, don't worry about it. The main point is to be sure that none of the vines remain uncut.
As a rule, cut ivy takes a year to turn brown, two years to defoliate, and about three years to fall off the trees by itself.
Next, pull away as much ivy as possible from the trunk at ground level. You probably will miss a few roots, but they won't all sprout back. Check your cleared areas each year, doing this three or four times the first year and annually thereafter. You can quickly uproot any new ivy shoots that appear, along with any seedlings.
Where large patches of ivy cover the ground, the elegant jellyroll method is preferred. Pick an edge and pull the ivy back like a sheet. If you are in the middle of a woodland, make an edge with a sharp shovel or edging tool. Roll the ivy back like a carpet, slicing away the roots with a sharp edging tool. Two people can do this amazingly quickly, one rolling and the other cutting.
A deep layer of coarse shredded bark or wood chips makes an effective smother mulch for ivy. As little as three inches of wood chips helps to suppress most of the ivy, while 8 to 10 inches will kill 80 percent of ground cover ivy in about three months.
That is the easiest way to clear large infestations, since it is much easier to dump chips on ivy than to tug it all out. Arborists and road crews are good sources for free wood chips, as are some municipalities.
Don't put ivy on the compost pile. Where curbside green-waste recycling service is available, bag your ivy or pack it into the disposal service's pickup totes.
Invasive, non-native plants are one of the biggest threats to our native ecosystems. Because of their aggressive growth and lack of natural enemies in our region, these species can be highly destructive, competitive, or difficult to control. These invaders compete with native plants in many ways: occupying space, changing the structure of the plant community, causing physical and chemical alterations of the soil, and covering and shading native plants. Invasive plants interfere with animal life, too, by altering the structure of their habitat and by eliminating favored food plants through competition. Invasive plants are spread both by human activity and by animals that eat them and carry their seeds.
Take Action!
Share you knowledge about the harm that invasives cause with your family, your friends, your coworkers and your neighbors.
Join a local invasive plant eradication effort. Many parks and nature reserves (e.g., Audubon sanctuaries) manually remove invasive plants with the help of local volunteers. These outings are a great way to get some exercise, enjoy time outdoors, meet new friends, and gain the satisfaction of knowing that you're helping to protect our natural world.
Learn to recognize common invaders and keep an eye out for signs of new ones. Check trees, gardens, vacant lots, roadsides, yards, agricultural areas, wetlands, ponds, and lakes. If you think you've found a new infestation, contact your county agricultural agent or state Department of Natural Resources. Early detection is crucial to stopping an invasive from becoming permanently established.
There are many types of invasive species, not just plants, that are pushing the natural resources to their limits. Here are a few more links to other invasions we are experiencing:
Forest Images.org
Share you knowledge about the harm that invasives cause with your family, your friends, your coworkers and your neighbors.
Join a local invasive plant eradication effort. Many parks and nature reserves (e.g., Audubon sanctuaries) manually remove invasive plants with the help of local volunteers. These outings are a great way to get some exercise, enjoy time outdoors, meet new friends, and gain the satisfaction of knowing that you're helping to protect our natural world.
Learn to recognize common invaders and keep an eye out for signs of new ones. Check trees, gardens, vacant lots, roadsides, yards, agricultural areas, wetlands, ponds, and lakes. If you think you've found a new infestation, contact your county agricultural agent or state Department of Natural Resources. Early detection is crucial to stopping an invasive from becoming permanently established.
There are many types of invasive species, not just plants, that are pushing the natural resources to their limits. Here are a few more links to other invasions we are experiencing:
Forest Images.org
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I N V A S I V E S P E C I E S !
