Category: Invasive Plants Pacific Northwest
-
September Himalayan Blackberry
Himalayan Blackberry is one of those invasive weeds whose removal is important, but not urgent. It can be put off for a while, but not forever. September, the end of the dry season, is not my ideal time to work on it, but lacking any urgent tasks in the forest, I was able to get…
-
Nipplewort and Wall Lettuce
The ideal strategy for controlling both Nipplewort and Wall Lettuce is to remove them during that very brief period between the initial shooting-up of the flower stalks and emergence of the flower buds.
-
Three April Weeds to Pull (Before They Flower in May)
I’m patrolling edges this month, removing invasive annuals and biennials. My top priority is Herb Robert, a.k.a. Stinky Bob, Death-Come-Quickly, and numerous other amusing common names.
-
Garlic Mustard Tops the State’s List of Backyard Baddies
Recently, the State of Washington’s Noxious Weed Control Board completed its annual update to the list of Class A, B, and C Noxious Weeds. I spent time studying the State’s list and related County lists to see if they affected my forest restoration work.
-
Evergreens in the Land of Rain
The Douglas Firs, Western Redcedars, and Western Hemlocks are the royalty of the Pacific Northwest forests, and this is their season.
-
The Persistence of English Holly
I once came across a large English Holly growing on its side.
-
Himalayan Blackberry Versus Salmonberry
The last few days I’ve been removing Himalayan Blackberry from a patch of Salmonberry shrubs. The poor Salmonberry is taking a real beating. Why?
-
Himalayan Blackberry – Pry and Pop, Wiggle and Pull
If you haven’t tried it before, removing Himalayan Blackberry is not as difficult as you might think.
-
Himalayan Blackberry and Its Native Look-Alikes
Himalayan Blackberry, when small, is easily confused with the native Trailing Blackberry. To tell them apart, I focus on the leaves.
-
Norway Maples – Now is the Time
Now is a good time to spot and remove small Norway Maples — their leaves have turned a bright yellow and the ground is soft from rain.
-
The Future of Plant Identification
If artificial intelligence can master the game of Go, I guess it can learn to identify plants.
-
Drawing the Line on Vinca and Hedge Bindweed
A weed break is a narrow line of cleared ground separating the forest from invasives that spread by rhizomes — like Vinca and Hedge Bindweed.
-
Garlic Mustard or Money Plant? And Does it Matter?
I almost panicked the other day when I found the fall rosette of a plant that I thought might be Garlic Mustard, a Class A noxious weed in the State of Washington and “one of the most serious invaders in forested areas of the northeastern and midwestern United States.” This particular invasive plant might have…
-
How Old is Old-Growth Ivy?
While sawing through a 3 ½ inch diameter Ivy stem yesterday, I wondered how long it had taken to get so big. It was the largest of several large woody vine stems going up an approximately 60-year-old Douglas Fir, branching into dozens of gradually smaller stems, wrapping and crisscrossing as they climbed into the upper…
-
First Year Herb Robert – Part Two
Yesterday I spent an hour removing a patch of first-year Herb Robert that had germinated in a bed of moss.
-
First Year Herb Robert
The dry season can be a good time to remove first-year Herb Robert.