In spring our hillsides can be covered with brilliant soft yellow flowers that are beautiful to behold. And yet – they are an incredibly invasive plant that grow in dense stands that outcompete many native plants. These dense stands are highly flammable and increase the risk of wildfires. The most common species found in California […]
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Commonly called the tree of heaven, this invasive plant is anything but! Also referred to as Chinese sumac, Ailanthus altissima is a highly invasive tree in California. It can grow three feet a year, cloning itself via underground suckers or through the hundreds of thousands of seeds each tree produces every year. This notorious plant
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Many exotic invasive pests are of major concern in California. The glassy-winged sharpshooter (an insect) and purple loosestrife (a weed) are two invasive species that are established in some areas but still threaten to invade other areas. Newer exotic species of concern include Diaprepes root weevil, light brown apple moth, and various aquatic weeds. Some
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There is a new worm in town – the invasive jumping worm. Also known as Alabama jumpers, Jersey wrigglers, wood eel, crazy worms, snake worms, Asian jumping worm, and crazy snake worms, they have been found in Napa and Sonoma Counties (not yet in Marin). They are smooth, glossy gray or brown and 1.5 to
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Ever heard of “right place, right plant”? Following those four little words can help you grow healthy plants that thrive, decrease diseases and pests, and may cut down on the time you spend in watering, pruning, and doing other kinds of yard maintenance. Before heading to the nursery, check out Getting to Know Your Garden
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There are weeds, and then there are serious weeds. A common description of a weed is any plant growing where you don’t want it. But what about invasive weeds and the worst, noxious weeds? What’s the difference, and why be concerned? The Weed Science Society of America defines a weed as “a plant that causes
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“An invasive plant is a plant that is non-native to the ecosystem under consideration, and whose introduction is likely to cause economic or environmental harm, or harm to human health” says Plant Right, a California non-profit working with California’s nursery industry to keep invasive plants out of our landscapes and to promote the sale of
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Some of the worst invasive plants in California, brooms and yellow starthistle, have caused substantial changes to California’s wildlands. The organism that causes sudden oak death was inadvertently introduced to California forests on nursery stock and is estimated to have killed more than 1 million oak and tanoak trees during the last decade. Insect-carried diseases
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If you’re getting spring fever and wanting to add new plants to your garden, take care with your choices – don’t plant a pest! Plant pests, commonly called Invasive plants, are plants that are non-native, reproduce and spread quickly, and cause harm to the environment, economy, or human health. Plants may be invasive in some
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Your image of weeds may be the dandelions growing in a lawn, the clover nudging your vegetables aside, or poison oak displaying its fall colors. Weeds can be any plant type – tree, shrub, vine, grass, perennial, or annual plants. Marin has some BIG weed plants – blue eucalyptus and black acacia, Scotch broom and
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