English holly (Ilex aquifolium) is a popular evergreen frequently noticed during the month of December when festive decorators “deck the halls with boughs of holly”. For many people, the shiny, dark green leaves and red berries of holly are synonymous with the holiday season. This popular plant, however, is not native to Oregon. In fact, […]
Author Archive | Sam Leininger
Tree-of-Heaven Falls Far from the Name
If you start looking around Clackamas County, it won’t take you long to find the invasive tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima). This state-listed noxious weed is increasingly more common in many of our urban areas where it flourishes. Tree-of-heaven seems right at home in alleys, roadsides, railways, vacant lots, that crack in the sidewalk. Very large trees […]
Staff Spotlight: Courtney Gattuso, WeedWise Specialist & CWMA Coordinator
Get to know the WeedWise program, through our people! The success of the WeedWise program is in great part due to the hard work and dedication of our staff. If you have ever called the office or stopped by for assistance with your weed problems, you have undoubtedly worked with one of our hard-working employees. […]
September’s Weed of the Month: Knotweed
September is the Time to Control Japanese Knotweed Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) has been called a “nightmare” and a “botanical bully,” and is one of the 100 worst global invaders. These characterizations give you a pretty good idea of just how unwelcome this invasive weed is in our community. Japanese knotweed is fast-growing and hardy, […]
Tansy Ragwort Poisons Livestock and Neighborly Relationships!
Tansy ragwort has long tormented rural landowners who graze livestock. Horses and cows are especially susceptible to this poisonous weed. In open fields, grazing animals will generally avoid eating tansy ragwort, but in heavily infested pastures they may have few other options. Contaminated hay is particularly a problem because it becomes impossible for feeding animals […]
July’s Weed of the Month: Tansy Ragwort
Tansy ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) is an invasive weed with a long and deadly history in the Pacific Northwest. In Oregon, it is designated as a Class B invasive weed. It is believed to have been introduced here in the early 1900s through ballast water from a ship. This plant is native to Europe and Asia […]
It is National Pollinator Week!
It is National Pollinator Week! June 21-27, 2021 has been designated as National Pollinator Week in Oregon and across the country! Join the WeedWise program and other organizations across the country in celebrating our native pollinators. Summer is here and the weeds and wildflowers are blooming all around us. This burst of summer color also […]
10 Ways to Celebrate Oregon (and National) Invasive Weed Awareness Week!
May 15-22 is the week that we celebrate Oregon Invasive Weed Awareness Week! This is the one week of the year to reflect on the invasive weeds impacting Oregon and for us to begin taking steps to combat these aggressive and harmful invaders. This year we are also celebrating National Invasive Species Awareness Week-Part II, […]
Staff Spotlight: Samuel Leininger, WeedWise Manager
Get to know the WeedWise program, through our people! The success of the WeedWise program is in great part due to the hard work and dedication of our staff. If you have ever called the office or stopped by for assistance with your weed problems, you have undoubtedly worked with one of our hard-working […]
It’s Native Plant Appreciation Week!
Let’s Celebrate! The WeedWise program is in the business of preventing and controlling invasive weeds. As anyone that spends much time battling invasive weeds can attest, our work can feel a little daunting at times. We all have those days when we are battling a bothersome patch of invasive weeds and lose sight of the […]