Weeds in the News

Weeds sometimes make it to the press. Below are some of the recent (and some of the timeless) news items related to invasive plants.

2009

• Brazilian weed infestation might be beaten.  Thurston County Noxious Weed Board believes they may have eliminated Brazilian elodea from the Chehalis River after 10 years of removal.  The Olympian, October 6, 2009.
  County is after milk thistle.  Enumclaw residents are asked to watch for this aggressive Class A thistle that is infesting farms on the Plateau.  Enumclaw Courier-Herald, June 16, 2009.
• 'Super weed' taking strong hold in Utah.  Big, bad phragmites is getting worse.  It looks like the plants toxins are getting stronger thanks to increased UV light and fertilizer run off.  KSL.com, June 8, 2009.
• Boom Times for Scotch Broom Blooms.  Kitsap County Noxious Weed Program struggles to keep up with bumber broom season, tansy ragwort and other noxious weeds.  Kitsap Sun, June 3, 2009.
• Nab those weeds before they seed.  Trying to undo the mistakes of the past - controlling the Scotch broom legacy of the erosion control plantings from the 1930-50s on the Oregon Coast.  The Daily Astorian, June 5, 2009.
• Unwelcome Bad Guys. When it becomes a contest between the new and the old invasive species, you know it’s gotten really bad and protection of intact habitat becomes even more crucial. The East Hampton Start, June 3, 2009
• Something Wicked This Way Grows .  If you like horror stories and botany, this might be for you. Read about a new book that tells all about plants from around the world behaving badly.  Miller-McCune, June 2, 2009. 
• It’s a noxious task, but someone’s got to control weeds .  Outdoor enthusiasts are called to action (and to become educated) to fight weeds impacting wildlife and natural areas.  Spokesman-Review, May 28, 2009. 
• Garlic mustard invasion killing native plants around Portland .  It's getting pretty bad in the Portland area, but there is still a chance to keep garlic mustard at bay if everyone works at it.  KGW News Channel 8 Portland, Oregon, May 27, 2009. 
• Klahanie's natural areas registered as wildlife sanctuary .  A local success story of invasive weed control and community stewardship leading to improved habitat and protection for wildlife.  Issaquah Press, May 26, 2009. 
• The Hungry Gardener tackles weeds .  Helpful tips for weed control in home vegetable gardens.  JS Online, May 26, 2009. 
• So far, no more garlic mustard weed found.  The search is on for more sites, but so far garlic mustard has been nipped in the bud on the Olympic Peninsula (see first story below).  Peninsula Daily News, May 26, 2008. 
• Invasive weed found in Port Angeles probably first on Peninsula .  A scary discovery considering that garlic mustard has never been seen on the Olympic Peninsula before.  Peninsula Daily News, May 18, 2009. 
• King County battles invasive garlic mustard .  TV news story about our fight to control garlic mustard at Golden Gardens Park in Seattle.  King 5 News Seattle, April 27, 2009. 
• Invading garlic mustard marches on beloved Columbia gorge flora (The Oregonian, April 26, 2009) 
• King County's noxious weed list growing (King County Press Release, February 3, 2009)
• Web site would help state track invasive plants (Seattle Times, January 16, 2009)
• Scientist names top 5 invasive plants threatening Southern forests in 2009 (PHYSORG.com, January 12, 2009)

2008

• New local threat revealed (Yellow Floating-Heart in the Siskiyou National Forest) (Mail Tribune, December 13, 2008)
• Finding the Ideal Predator for Garlic Mustard (Weed Science Society of America, December 12, 2008)
• Groups band together in fight against weeds (Sammamish Review, December 9, 2008)
• Climate Change Opens New Avenue For Spread Of Invasive Plants (Science Daily, November 30, 2008)
• Lakeshore residents remove invasive plants (Sammamish Review, November 18, 2008)
• Butterfly bush: The state adds cultivars to the list of harmful invaders (The Oregonian, November 17, 2008)
• Nature Conservancy uses high-tech plane to eliminate invasive weeds (KHNL-NBC, November 12, 2008)
• Preventing weeds beneath the bird feeder (Christian Science Monitor, October 29, 2008)
• Got Weeds? These Sheep Will Make House Calls (The New York Times, October 26, 2008)
• Know what's invasive and what's banned when deciding what to plant (The Seattle Times, October 26, 2008)
• A superweed spreading throughout the UK could be brought under control by introducing plant-eating predators from Japan, scientists believe (BBC News, October 13, 2008)
• Plant Seeds Hitch Rides on Traveling Shoes (The New York Times, October 10, 2008)
• Boaters face fine for spreading milfoil (King5.com, September 11, 2008)
• Targeting a 'menace': Scientist sics her beetles on invasive plant (Andover Townsman, July 24, 2008)
• Can Weeds Help Solve the Climate Crisis? (New York Times Magazine, June 29, 2008)
• Hunt is on for noxious weeds in King County (King County Press Release, May 2, 2008)
• Fighting one exotic species with another: Purple loosestrife is target of beetles (The Boston Globe, April 27, 2008)
• War Against Noxious Weeds Likely to Heat Up (Kitsap Sun, April 7, 2008)
• Bainbridge Island Students Dig In to Get the Weeds Out (The Kitsap Sun, March 6, 2008)
• USDA Awards More Than $4 Million in Weedy and Invasive Species Grants (USDA-CSREES Newsroom, March 3, 2008)
• King County launches annual roadside weed control program (King County Transportation Today, February 27, 2008)
• Surrender to weeds, says Snohomish County board (HeraldNet, February 19, 2008)
• County’s Noxious Weed Board adds 5 more to weed control list (The River Current News, January 10, 2008)
• King County Noxious Weed Board meets Jan. 16 to discuss weed control list (King County Press Release January 4, 2008)

2007

• Horses Disperse Alien Plants Along Recreational Trails (ScienceDaily, November 26, 2007)
• Absence of hydrilla in two King County lakes could signal victory in battle to eradicate invasive weed (King County Press Release November 9, 2007)
• Invasive Plant Secretes Acid To Kill Nearby Plants And Spread (Science Daily, October 15, 2007)
• Getting to the bottom of lakes (Seattle Times, Southeast King County News, October 14, 2007)
• Toxic plants sold without warning (The Sydney Morning Herald, September 16, 2007)
• Man dies after getting entangled in milfoil (Seattle P-I, August 26, 2007)
• Plant invaders enjoy life in the fast lane (New Scientist, August 5, 2007)
• Metro Gives Goats a Spin for Weed Control (King County Department of Transportation, June 1, 2007)
• Noxious weeds a problem in all of Oregon (Hillsboro Argus, May 25, 2007)
• King County's Noxious Weed Board meets Jan. 17; Noxious weed list could grow by three (King County Press Release, January 2, 2007)
• EPA facing lawsuits over pesticide rules (Seattle Times, January 2, 2007)

2006

• Ann's Organic Garden: Destroy tansy ragwort before it can multiply (Ann Lovejoy, Seattle P-I, August 5, 2006)
• King County in a race against the clock to stop the spread of toxic tansy ragwort (King County Press Release, July 18, 2006)
• Before you begin spraying, know how weed killers do their job (Seattle Times, July 15, 2006)
• King 5 TV: Noxious Weed Threatens Public Health (King5.com, May 31, 2006)
• King County encourages landowners to get a jump on noxious weeds (2006 Start of Weed Season Press Release) (King County Press Release, May 1, 2006)

2005

• City forests in peril: Invasive plants are killing native trees (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, November 7, 2005)
• Noxious -- or obnoxious -- county orders landowners to off invasive weeds (Seattle P-I, July 25, 2005)
• Invasive plants are threatening native ecosystems (King 5, June 18, 2005)
• County noxious weed specialists on the look out for infestations of the worst plant invaders (King County Press Release, May 9, 2005)

2004-2002

• Milfoil in Spring Lake (Seattle P-I, July 29, 2003)
• Black velvet bliss — and major thorn: blackberry a double-edged fruit (The Seattle Times, August 26, 2002)

You will need Acrobat Viewer to read the following articles:

• Noxious Weed Threatens Local Gardens, Parks (KIRO 7 TV, May 12, 2003)
• Garlic mustard, highly invasive noxious weed spotted in Seattle's parks and neighborhoods; County seeks help to identify and eradicate (King County Press Release, May 8, 2003)
• Scot's Broom - Northwest Garden News (May 1, 2003)
• Giant Hogweed - Northwest Garden News (March 4, 2003)
• Ivy - Northwest Garden News (February 4, 2003)
• Weeds - Northwest Garden News (January 10, 2003)