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 […]
Happy Holidays from all of us here at the WeedWise Program!
Another year in the books With the new year approaching, it is always good to take a moment to stop and reflect on our many accomplishments and challenges over the past year. Here at the WeedWise program we’ve been reflecting on the past year. To celebrate our accomplishments, the WeedWise Program has prepared an annual […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
A reality stranger than fiction Straight out of a script from a classic 1950s horror film, a local pond is mysteriously overtaken by multitudes of gelatinous brain-like blobs. These blobs appeared, seemingly overnight to dominate a pond, causing immediate concern from the affected landowner. It is not hard to imagine that if you found these […]
What a difference a year makes It was one year ago that we reported a large infestation of milkthistle (Silybum marianum) growing in a twenty-acre horse pasture outside of Wilsonville. At that time, the WeedWise program was approached by the resident for assistance in helping her to control the milkthistle. As a priority invasive weed […]
