C o m m o n Pierce County B.O.L.O Pierce County Noxious F e n n e l Weed Lists and Be on the Lookout Licorice scented perennial 4-10 ft. tall G o a t s r u e Leaves are dark green and THE TERRIBLE feathery Perennial, up to 6 feet tall Bears umbrella shaped Alternate, compound leaves have 6-10 leaflets TEN clusters of small yellow flowers Pea-like flowers are white to lilac, clustered Tap roots can reach depths of 10 feet at stem end Outcompetes native plants and reduces native wildlife habitat Reproduces by seed; fatal if ingested Once established it is difficult to control, due to its strong competitive abilities and persistent seed bank Rush Skeletonweed D a l m a t i a n Perennial, 1-4 feet tall; reproduces by seed and vegetative growth T o a d f l a x Leaves coarsely lobed, fine dense hair on Perennial herb 2.5 to 5 feet both sides with sharp spines on margin tall Bright yellow flowers in single or clusters Waxy, heart shaped, light Not Palatable to livestock green leaves Bright yellow flowers with a tinge of orange in the center, D y e r ’ s W o a d looks like a snapdragon Annual, biennial or short-lived per- A persistent, aggressive in- ennial; ranging 1-4 feet tall vader, pushing out native Reproduces by seed grasses and other perennials. Rapidly colonizes open sites Lance-shaped leaves, alternated Contains poisonous alkaloid, toxic to livestock along stem with cream colored mid- vein Small yellow flowers found in clusters on the branch tips Wild Chervil Weeds of Concern for Biennial plant grows from Pierce County 1 to 4 ft. tall Has hollow ridged stems A Partner Agency of with fern-like leaves Bears small white umbrel- Pierce County Noxious Weed la shaped flower clusters Control Board Poses a serious threat to native plants and agriculture Is highly adaptable and will grow in almost any type of soil. 9200 122nd St E 9200 122nd St E It has an aggressive growth habit , quickly creating monocul- Puyallup, WA 98373 Puyallup, WA 98373 tures. Phone: 253-798-7263 Most of Pierce County is highly susceptible to Wild Chervil 253-798-7263 www.PierceCountyWeedBoard.org THE TERRIBLE Poison Hemlock G o r s e A dense, spiny, evergreen TEN shrub, 3-10 ft. tall and closely Weeds of Concern Toxic biennial plant up to 8 ft. tall resembles scotch broom 1st year: basal rosette with fern-like leaves Aggressive, invasive plant crowds out other vegetation, T a n s y 2nd year: produces tall stem with distinc- forming impenetrable stands of dense thorny growth tive purplish blotches and dark green, R a g w o r t glossy, leaves Has sharp thorn-like leaves up to 3 in. long Invasive, persistent, toxic weed Flowers are flat-topped clusters of small, Clusters of bright yellow, pea-like flowers form into white flowers inch-long pods containing 1 to 4 seeds 1st year: rosette stage; dark green basal leaves, ruffled in All plant parts are extremely poisonous to humans and ani- Plants form a center of dry, dead vegetation, that cou- appearance mals. pled with its high oil content creates a serious fire hazard 2nd year: One or more flower- Wear gloves and protective clothing when handling this plant, ing stems bolt up to 6 ft. tall can cause contact dermatitis P e r e n n i a l Produces numerous yellow Do not burn or compost this plant flowering heads which are P e p p e r w e e d daisy-like in appearance with 13 petals K n a p w e e d s Contains toxins that cause chronic irreversible liver Bushy plant about 3 ft. tall damage; a threat to livestock and agriculture There are 3 species of knap- Waxy leaves and rounded weed that threaten Pierce clusters of small white flowers County: spotted, diffuse, and at branch tips G i a n t meadow knapweed. Aggressive, non-native plant H o g w e e d 1st year: basal rosette displaces native species 2nd year: flowering stalk elon- Poses serious threat to natural areas, is invading im- Huge perennial plant gates up to 5 feet portant habitat for shore birds in Western Washington from15-20 ft. tall Easily identified by its spine Hollow stems 2-4 in. thick tipped or fringed bracts (the with dark reddish blotches leaf-like structure at the base of the flower) Shiny Geranium Its enormous compound Small flowerheads are solitary and range in color from white leaves (up to 5 ft. wide) are to lavender A low growing annual, 10-12 deeply divided and edges in. high Stout tap roots are jagged Leaves decrease in size up the stem Stems are tinged bright red White umbrella-like, flat topped flower-heads can reach up to 2.5 ft. wide Very aggressive species, one of the Leaves are rounded, divided most dominant weeds of the west. Can into lobed sections that have 3 lobes at the tip and The toxic sap from this plant causes severe burning infest large areas very quickly. are shiny and bright green, turning red in late sum- and scarring which may last years. Do not handle mer and fall without gloves, goggles and protective clothing. Wa- Releases toxins that make it difficult tery sap can squirt up to 5 ft. when stem is cut or for native plants to germinate nearby, allowing knapweed to Flowers are pink with 5 petals and grow in pairs broken dominate the area and form monocultures. .