them out with a out them dig PTIONS O moisture. being addition to In a wild- ACTORS by handplants by or ) F land weed,land an is sticky agricultural weed and is toxic to horses and horses to and is toxic agricultural weed EY Pull Prolific seed production and rapid growth. and rapid seed production Prolific be 2–3 years. to Seed viability thought areas. drainage in moist Thrives con- in stems from and roots from Resprouts tact with soil. Pulaski when the is in but before it before but in flower is plant the when Pulaski seed. to has gone eupatorium sticky Removing hand is time-consuming.Althoughby root the system is shallow,stems break easily,especially drier soils,on pull to be taken should so care of base the leave from to not as so stems the fragments.root In drainage moist areas, you find yourselfmight heavy, up pulling sodden ofclumps and soil. mass root find Often you’ll mat.However, a continuous form the roots that mass, the root get to important the plant as it’s resprout. otherwise will REATMENT T u unpalatable to cattle. to unpalatable K u u u u Eupatorium sp. WEED WORKERS’ HANDBOOK WEED WORKERS’ (formerly (formerly

Sticky eupatorium often has a straggly

ESCRIPTION EPRODUCTION MPACTS D Also known as Crofton weed, eupatory, thoroughwort adenophora STICKY EUPATORIUM STICKY I Sticky eupatorium out native plants crowds flooding, or disturbance fire after and is very summer with areas in natives with competitive R Sticky eupatorium spreads primarily asexual by seed production. Small, inflo- pinkish or white rescences resembling pincushions appear in terminal clustersin March.April to mid- From 7,000–10,000 tiny produces plant each June seeds,black ofthird a to up although are these viable.not with hairs fine seed is topped Each aid in wind dispersal.that easily seeds are The airborne or dispersed by water,but they can also clothing, to stick footwear, vehicles passing or and animals. in place takes germination Most and September,August capa- are and seedlings ble of reproducing vegetatively within 8 weeks of germination. The plant can also reproduce parts of through and roots the from stem the the ground. touch that appearance and typically grows 3–5 feet tall. red and dark long are stems The hairs, the at downy woody with and base. rap- grows eupatorium Sticky idly, forming and branches shoots its dense thickets. opposite are Leaves with toothed and triangular-ovate margins. long, 2 inches about are They green,dark and glossy. This perennial herb or semi- is semi-shrub or herb This perennial moist, on found and dis- slopes exposed turbed areas, in riparian particularly clearings. and in forest habitat Sunflower Family () (Asteraceae) Family Sunflower

SHRUBS 70 u Brush cut sticky eupatorium on dry, steep FOLLOW-UP slopes and in drainage areas, using a rotary If the infestation is a manageable size, follow slash brushcutter.Some practitioners then fol- brushcutting with removal of the roots. Alter- low up by digging out the roots; others, by natively, if it is safe to use herbicide, you can spraying the cut stems with herbicide. In the wait for lush growth to return after brushcut- Marin Headlands repeated brushcutting at ting and spray the plants in order to finally kill monthly intervals in the drier months has them. Return to the site 2–3 times after the ini- proved unsuccessful in exhausting the root tial visit (at 6-month intervals) to scrape off any system and preventing the stems from new seedlings from the soil surface with a resprouting,perhaps because of the additional McLeod or hula hoe. Mulching the weeded area moisture supplied by summer coastal fog. with a 1- to 2-inch-thick layer of straw or cover- u Foliar spray. Some practitioners have have ing with landscape fabric will help prevent the had success by spraying a weak solution of seedbank from germinating and will make fol- glyphosate in infestations on dry slopes away low-up much easier. from water. Spray the tops and undersides of the leaves (either before or just after the INTERESTING FACTS

plants begin to show buds). Originating in Mexico, sticky eupatorium is considered a major agricultural weed around DISPOSAL the world. It may have been introduced to Stems will easily reroot in water, so make brush California as an ornamental plant. In India the piles well away from wet areas. Piles can be left plant is being used to produce a green commer- to decompose on site. cial dye,while in Nepal the plant juice is applied to cuts and injuries.Studies show that compost- ing sticky eupatorium for approximately 2 months eliminates its toxins.

Notes

THE PLANTS: HOW TO REMOVE BAY AREA WEEDS 71