Washington Weeds
Washington State is facing an invasion of non-native, highly invasive noxious weeds, including diffuse, meadow and spotted knapweed, purple loosestrife, tansy ragwort, St. Johnswort, leafy spurge, Canada thistle, Scotch broom, Dalmatian and yellow toadflax, and many others. Non-native noxious weeds destroy biological diversity, decrease forage, increase erosion potential, and decrease land values across the state and western USA. The health of these grasslands and timberlands is vital for wildlife, livestock, and people of Washington.
State Noxious Weed List
To help protect the State’s resources and economy, the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board adopts a State Noxious Weed List each year (WAC 16-750). This list organizes weeds into three major classes – A, B, and C – based on the stage of invasion of each species and the seriousness of the threat they pose to Washington State. This classification system is designed to:
- Prevent small infestations from expanding by eradicating them when they are first detected
- Restrict already established weed populations to regions of the state where they occur and prevent their movement to un-infested areas
- Allow flexibility of weed control at the local level for weeds that are already widespread.
Weed Identification
Several useful weed identification websites have been created by county and state noxious weed control programs and are great resources for land managers. Two Washington based user-friendly sites are listed below. If you have further questions about weed identification please contact your county weed control program or contact us.
Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board - noxious weed ID by flower color
King County Noxious Weed Control Program - noxious weed ID by flower color, common name, and botanical name
Weed Control Best Management Practices
The Integrated Weed Control Project encourages all land managers to take an integrated weed management approach. Weed control tools are often most effective when they are utilized as part of a long-term strategy. For assistance with integrated weed management please contact your county weed control program or contact us.
The King County Noxious Weed Control Program has created written Best Management Practices for control of several weeds common to King County. Though some information included in the BMP's is King County specific, the documents are good resources for land managers creating integrated control strategies for specific weeds.
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