Weeds to watch out for

Property owners are getting advice on how to stop weeds and invasive plants from taking over their land.

Weed and invasive plants are the ‘thorn’ in the side of every property owner.

Some hide behind pretty flowers before letting thousands of seeds take to the wind to continue their assault. Still, others begin as a single stalk, shooting out roots that sprout and develop into weed clones elsewhere.

The Regional District of Central Okanagan Noxious Weed program encourages every property owner to be a good steward of the land and help reduce the threat posed by these invading species that choke out our native plants.

“Residents can easily arm themselves with information to help keep invasive weeds in check.  There are excellent resources available for people to inform and arm themselves as ‘Weed Warriors.’ By visitingwww.regionaldistrict.com/weeds you can see photos of some of our most serious offenders and get to the ‘root’ of the problem by cutting or pulling these plant threats.  A little information and knowledge can go a long way in identifying species that, if left unchecked in our yards and properties, can prevent native plants from growing,” said an RDCO news release.

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The Invasive Species Council of BC has a highly regarded website that provides photos and information about non-native plants at www.bcinvasives.ca. Another great regional resource is Okanagan Invasive Species Online atwww.oiso.ca.

This time of year, some of the biggest weed threats are Western Goat’s-Beard that looks like a tall dandelion with a much larger, round seed ball. Also, Wild Mustard, with its’ small, bright yellow flowers reduces crop values and yields and curtails livestock forage production on pastures.

Other common varieties of problem weeds in the region include Knapweeds,Puncturevine, Purple Loosestrife and the prickly members of the Thistle family, such as Scotch Thistle.

For more details and information visit www.regionaldistrict.com/weeds.