Its National Invasive Species Awareness Week!
National Invasive Species Awareness Week (February 28-March 4, 2022) kicks off today! Each year, folks around the country take a week to consider the many impacts that non-native invasive species have on our communities, working lands, natural areas, and pocketbooks. So take a moment to celebrate with the WeedWise Program to learn a little more […]
February’s Weed of the Month: Scotch Broom
February is the one month of the year that many of us associate with love and romance. We cut out paper hearts for Valentine’s Day cards and wrap cut flowers for that special person in our lives. But there is another reason to celebrate. February 14th is also Oregon’s birthday! Way back in 1859, Oregon […]
January’s Weed of the Month: English Ivy
English ivy (Hedera helix) may conjure up images of cozy, country cottages, but don’t be deceived. This invasive weed can destroy buildings, poison pets, and topple trees. The very characteristics that made it a popular ornamental plant – grows quickly, requires little maintenance, provides a “no-mow,” evergreen ground cover — are the things that have […]
Year in Review: A WeedWise Annual Report 2021
We are celebrating another year in the books! This past year is certainly one that none of us will soon forget. A year shaped by a global pandemic, social and political unrest, wildfire recovery, and an ice storm that has raged across Clackamas County, 2021 is certainly a year best viewed in hindsight. Despite all […]
Naughty and Nice for 2021
We’ve been making a list, And checking it twice, Now its time to find out Who has been naughty and nice! It is a WeedWise tradition for each of our staff to select our annual “Naughty and Nice” plants for the year. Check out the latest from our staff in this fun holiday tradition! Sam’s […]
December’s Weed of the Month: English Holly
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, […]
November’s Weed of the Month: Spurge Laurel
The Scourge of Spurge Laurel Spurge laurel (Daphne laureola) is neither a spurge nor a laurel, but rather an invasive plant in the Daphne family. This perennial plant has poisonous berries, spreads aggressively in our native forests, and is increasingly being found in Clackamas County. Native to Europe, spurge laurel was introduced in Oregon as […]
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. […]
October’s Weed of the Month: Himalayan Blackberry
The Thorn in Our Side Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus) tantalizes us with its sweet fruits in the summer and tortures us with its prickly vines all year long. Also known as Armenian Blackberry, this wide-spread and aggressive weed is native to Armenia and Northern Iran. It is considered an invasive species in many parts of […]
