Noxious Weeds

Dalmatian Toadflax

Orange Hawkweed

Spotted Knapweed

How fair is it when a weed that will take over the earth is also so pretty you hate to pull it?

Like that really pretty girl in high school who was so mean & nasty no one would sit with her at lunch, it takes some bad experiences to realize these plants are NOT our friends.

I've got some significant weeds at my house: Nightshade, Cheat Grass, even some Western Water Hemlock (it can kill a horse if one eats it!) and I know how to get rid of them before they bloom and set their seeds. We all recognize the thistles and bindweed when the plants are still small enough to dig out, but what happens when we think we've got a snapdragon (the toadflax) or an aster (the hawkweed)? It takes over, choking out the plants we've carefully nourished and watered.

More than being invasive in the home garden, when we (or our non-gardening neighbors) don't remove them, these noxious weeds take over the farmer's fields, choking out his/her crops! They crowd out the native habitat which the native animals use to survive. It's not just an annoyance for fussy homeowners who like their prized ornamental plants, it's a problem that could affect us all.

Today is the Bend Weed Pull, organized by the Let's Pull Together folks. Check out their website below and head downtown - they've got prizes for participants!

If you're not sure what weeds are taking over our lovely state, click on the links below for more information and pictures. Let's get these nasty weeds out of here!

http://plants.usda.gov/java/noxious?rptType=State&statefips=41
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/deschutes/sites/default/files/Horticulture/documents/Knapweed2003.pdf http://pnwhandbooks.org/weed/
http://letspulltogether.com/