What Are Noxious Weeds?
A noxious weed, harmful weed or injurious weed is a weed that has been designated by an agricultural or other governing authority as a plant that is injurious to agricultural or horticultural crops, natural habitats or ecosystems, or humans or livestock. Most noxious weeds have been introduced into an ecosystem by ignorance, mismanagement, or accident. Some noxious weeds are native. Typically they are plants that grow aggressively, multiply quickly without natural controls (native herbivores, soil chemistry, etc.), and display adverse effects through contact or ingestion. Noxious weeds are a large problem in many parts of the world, greatly affecting areas of agriculture, forest management, nature reserves, parks and other open space.
Noxious Weeds in Cedar Ridge Estates
The most common noxious weeds found in Cedar Ridge Estates can be viewed below.
Himalayan Blackberry
areas throughout the west coast.
It is a perennial plant that can reproduce from seed, root crowns, root pieces, and stem cuttings. A root crown is located at the base of a stem (cane) where nutrients are stored and numerous roots and shoots will emerge. Canes are green or green and red, stiff, angular, and have numerous large thorns. Canes have green leaves that are in groups of three or five, have jagged edges, and are round or oval shaped with a slightly pointed tip. In the second year of growth, a cane develops small white or whitish pink flower clusters that produce edible blackberries. The cane dies at the end of the second year although the plant will continue to live by producing new canes each year from root crowns.
Himalayan blackberry grows very rapidly and can cover and replace native habitat that is important for plant and animal diversity. Once established, it will out-compete native vegetation and cover more ground with each season. The fast growing thorny canes make removal difficult and often painful. The canes of Himalayan blackberry can grow ten feet tall and over twenty feet long in a single year.
https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weeds/himalayan-blackberry
English Ivy
English ivy and its close cousin Atlantic or Irish ivy are well-known European vines that have been widely used in North America landscapes. Because this type of vine is evergreen and well-adapted to the mild Pacific Northwest climate, it grows all year round in western Washington and can out-compete many other plant species. This aggressively spreading vine can cover everything in its reach and has no natural checks and balances to keep it under control.
In the understory of forests, English ivy spreads over the ground and crowds out native wildflowers, ferns and tree seedlings. Ivy mats often host pest animals such as the Norway rat. Also, because ivy roots are shallow, thick mats covering hillsides can increase problems with slope failure as water runs down under the ivy and entire mats of ivy and soil slide downhill. On walls and fences, ivy rootlets work into the wood and mortar and can cause structural and aesthetic damage.
When English ivy is allowed to grow up tree trunks it can increase the risk of the trees being blown over in windstorms because of its large mass and “sail effect” of the vines in the canopy. Tree bark is more likely to have disease and rot problems and the tree health can be damaged by reduced access to light when the vines cover the tree’s branches. Although ivy won’t directly poison the tree, it will most likely harm the tree’s health and increase the chance of it becoming a hazard tree.
Learn More About English Ivy:
https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weeds/english-ivy
English Holly
This tall shrub or small tree is often landscaped as a privacy hedge and is grown for production in orchards in the outskirts of the county. Ninety percent of English holly sold in the United States is grown here in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) with the majority of which is exported outside of our region.
English holly (Ilex aquifolium), also known as “Christmas holly,” is a symbol of the joy of wintertime around the world. In Celtic times (~1200 BC) holly plants represented good fortune and beauty. The Celtic habit of decking the halls with “boughs of holly” transformed into the modern traditions of hanging red and green decorations during the holiday season.
To understand the complexity of English holly’s position in the PNW, we must look deep into its history and the relationships it has formed along the way with people and nature.
The first English holly planting on record in Washington state took place in 1891 – two years after Washington became a state. That’s only 130 years ago, a fairly short time relative to the age of the old-growth forests of this region. Unfortunately, it was only within the past few decades that ecologists, forest owners, and land managers began to grow concerned about the behavior of English holly in our local forests. By the time its negative impact was clear, two generations of families in Washington had been depending on English holly as a crop for their livelihoods.
In 2010, responding to the growing concerns of local scientists, community groups, and land managers, the King County Noxious Weed Control Board recommended to the Washington State Weed Control Board that English holly be added to the noxious weed list as a Class C noxious weed. The goal was to encourage control of escaped holly plants and educate people about its impacts. The county weed board worked with dozens of environmental organizations to put together a pitch that flowed with data and observations regarding how widely English holly had spread within the state. Proposals with support like this only occur when a plant is believed to have significant negative impacts on the natural landscape or agriculture.
Although listing English holly as a noxious weed would not bar holly farmers from selling and distributing the plant, growers were concerned that the negative label as a noxious weed would make holly less appealing and reduce its retail sales. Ultimately, the proposal did not pass. The state weed board felt it needed more hard evidence of the impact of the species, rather than just the quantity, observations, and concerns. Without this evidence, the board didn’t think it was reasonable to negatively impact an agricultural commodity.
Although holly was not listed as a noxious weed, the board did add a statement to the state noxious weed law that gave local governments and county weed boards the authority to educate the public about the potential negative impact of plants that are not on the state noxious weed list. King County lists English holly as a Weed of Concern to encourage control and discourage further plantings in order to prevent it from spreading.
Learn More About English Holly:
https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weeds/english-holly
Spurge Laurel
Spurge laurel is a serious threat to certain native forest ecosystems particularly Garry oak woodlands and dry Madrone/Douglas fir forests in the San Juan Islands and coastal British Columbia. In King County, most of the escaped populations are small, scattered and primarily in urban parks, but it does sometimes create larger stands that can have a significant impact on understory vegetation.
Spurge laurel is most often confused with rhododendron. Rhododendron fruits and large, pretty flowers are found above the leaves, but spurge laurel hides fruits and small, yellow-green flowers under its leaves. Some species of leafy spurges may also be confused with spurge laurel, but leafy spurges have a thick white sap that spurge laurel does not.
Spurge laurel, a broadleaf shrub, was introduced as an ornamental plant to the Pacific Northwest and now is invasive. The berries, leaves, and bark are poisonous if eaten. The sap can cause rashes and swelling, and the fumes can make it hard to breathe. Be prepared if you handle this plant.
Learn More About Spurge Laurel:
https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weeds/spurge-laurel
Are there penalties for failing to control noxious weeds on my property?
Yes. County Weed Boards and local Weed Districts enforce the laws. If a landowner fails to control noxious weeds, the Weed Board may come and control them and bill the landowner for doing so. They may also impose civil fines for failure to control weeds.
Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&R's)
Additionally, Cedar Ridge Estate CC&R's prohibit the growth of noxious weeds on a land owners lot.
Section 4.24 Unkept Lot
The Architectural Control Committee shall have the right at all times, but shall not be under obligation, to cut the grass upon and remove or destroy weeds, blackberries and rubbish from any such Lot, tract, or parcel. No noxious weeds shall be permitted to grow upon any of said Lots or tracts. If the owner(s) of the Lot shall not have corrected any such condition after receipt of thirty (30) days notice, for the purpose of maintaining an attractive overall appearance for said property; and to charge the owner or owners of said Lot, tract or parcel the actual cost plus ten percent (10%) for services rendered in alleviating any such unsightly condition, which charge shall constitute a lien against the property enforceable as provided in the case of dues, assessments and maintenance as provided in the lease and/or conveyance of said Lot, tract or parcel of Declarant or as provided in the Articles or By-Laws or resolutions of Cedar Ridge Estates Homeowner's Association.
Noxious Weeds Resources
The Washington State Noxious Weeds Control Board has a great site full of information about noxious weeds.