Weeds & Wildlings MG Training 2013 By Pat Patterson OSU MG OSU Extension Lane County 783 Grant St. Eugene, OR
Nature knows no plants as weeds.- Liberty Hyde Bailey
What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered
Weeds? Theirs is a long and complicated story, a story just now beginning to be unraveled but about which we already know enough to state, without fear of successful contradiction, that the history of weeds is the history of man. Edgar Anderson, Plants, Man & Life
What Is a Weed? A human construct. A plant growing where it is not wanted. A petunia in an onion patch might be a weed or part of an integrated garden. A plant that interferes with management objectives for a given area of land at a given period of time. J.M. Torell
Is This a Weed?
It gives one a sudden start in going down a barren, stony street, to see upon a narrow strip of grass, just within the iron fence, the radiant dandelion, shining in the grass, like a spark dropped from the sun. Henry Ward Beecher
Dandelions One of the top 10 medicinal plants Grown commercially for greens Excellent early beneficial insect habitat Nutritious source of food: petals, greens and roots Very beautiful, especially in the early spring
Why Do We Object to Weeds? Competition for desired plants Allelopathic May harbor diseases or pests Dangerous to humans or other animals Invasive may crowd out desirable natives and damage habitat Aesthetically disagreeable The US spends over 5 billion/yr on weed control.
What Are Weed Benefits? Help you read the soil Mine nutrients and water for the garden Genetic resource Food source Research into resistance to disease and insects Erosion control Medicinals & pesticides Habitat for beneficials Arts & crafts Fix nitrogen Aesthetics (many are beautiful)
Slightly Acid English Daisy Sheep Sorrel Horsetail
Batchelor Buttons Very Acid
Compacted Broadleaf plantain Wild mustard
Fat Weeds These weeds are indicators of good soil: Chickweed, lambsquarters (goosefoot), stinging nettle, purslane, shepherds-purse, yellow and curly dock, wild mustard, amaranth (pigweed), common mallow (cheeses), red (purple) dead nettle, bittercress, heal-all, dandelion, speedwell and even willow weed.
Mine Nutrients and Water for the Garden Many weeds are deep divers and pull up nutrients and water from below the cultivated crop s reach. These can then be harvested and used as mulch or in compost. Champions are stinging nettle, burdock, dandelion, dock and horsetail
Deep Divers Stinging nettle
Genetic Resource Our modern crops were developed from wild plants. The genes in the wild plants are an incredible resource when breeding for new traits and also to develop new crops. It can also hold the key to increased nutritional quality in our tame plants. Cultivated dandelions, quinoa, grain amaranth and Miner s Lettuce are such crops.
Miner s Lettuce
Food Source Wild plants are a very nutritious food source for animals, insects and humans. Humans ate over 176 common greens in the 16 th century as compared with the scanty diet we now consume. Most edible weeds are more nutritious than their tame counterparts. Learn to eat your good weeds.
Research Into Resistance to Disease and Insects Wild plants often hold the genetic key to increased pest and disease resistance which can be used to improve our cultivated plants. This then reduces the amount of managing we need to do.
Hold the Soil Creeping Buttercup kills clover
Medicines & Pesticides Some of the top herbal remedies are from wild plants, not cultivated plants. New medicinal compounds are being discovered every day, not just in the tropics but in our temperate plants as well. Many weeds have compounds that are being tested as insecticides, fungicides and herbicides.
Medicinals Foxglove Dandelion
Habitat for Beneficials The carrot, daisy and mustard family weeds are among the most used as food sources and shelters for beneficial insects, like the various wasps. All have small, open flowers which are good for the tiny wasps. Chickweed and bittercress are other great habitat plants. These flower very early when food sources are scarce.
Beneficial Habitat Spotted Cats-Ear Wild Mustard Yarrow
Arts & Crafts Dried arrangements, wreaths, daisy chains are all uses for common weeds. Some are even sold by craft stores, often spray painted! E.g. Teasel Handmade paper is decorated by them as are cards and stationery. And just look at all the clothes etc. decorated with their pictures!
Nitrogen fixer-vetch
Aesthetics (many are beautiful) I hope you will soon see the beauty of form, texture and flower of the lowly plants we class as weeds. Few flowers are more lovely than English Daisy, more sculptural than Teasel. They are an important part of our ecosystems and are more often wildlings than weeds. There are some true weeds in the bad sense of the word & those we try to manage. None has no redeeming value.
Teasel
How Weeds Spread Most bad weeds are foreigners; hitchhikers with man and animals In soil on roots, ballast, equipment and feet Wind (the parachuting seeds) Water, especially irrigation and floods. With other seeds as a contaminant Unwise introductions, i.e. Gorse, Purple Loosestrife, English Ivy
Wildly Successful Weeds Adaptability to fill any niche Seed numbers Seed viability and delayed dormancy Varied means of reproduction Vigor for rapid development Growth patterns
Weeds as a Problem Some plants, not all wild, create massive environmental, economic or even health issues. As such they are weeds to combat. Bruce Newhouse s presentation gave you a good introduction to this type of problem.
Loss of Native habitat in the Willamette Valley 1851 Lilac = Prairie Lt. purple = Oak 2000 2000 Tan = Agriculture White = Urban
Japanese Knotweed
Giant Knotweed
Bohemian Knotweed This hybrid is the most common escaped knotweed in Lane County!
Purple Loosestrife
Knapweeds Yellow starthistle ) Meadow knapweed Diffuse knapweed
And their close relatives, often sold and planted Cornflower Bachelor Buttons Big headed yellow cornflower
Scotch Broom, Portuguese Broom, Gorse Portuguese Broom Scotch Broom Gorse
Well established weeds- difficult to eradicate, especially without Blackberry Yellow flag iris St.Johnswort English Ivy herbicides
Stinky Bob Shining Geranium
Species escaping from our gardens Being found in parks and forests Often from dumped garden waste Sometimes introduced through commercial compost In the early stages of control, we could stop these
Aka: policeman s helmet Indian balsam touch-me-not Himalayan Balsam
Butterfly bush
English Ivy
Periwinkle Vinca major & V. minor Vinca major Vinca minor in a vine, with small leaves. Vinca minor Vinca major is a little more woody, with larger leaves
Lesser Celandine Sometimes confused with Marsh Marigold, but blooms early spring.
Kerria japonica Typically spread from dumped trimmings Make dense thickets Not eaten by any wildlife
Milk thistle Large white-veined leaves Spiny purple flowers Used medicinally Spreads by seeds, so if you grow it do not let it go to seed. Pick the flowers!
Roots medicinally used and edible Spreads by seed. Don t let it go to seed Not much around here, but huge patches in the Columbia River Gorge. Elecampane
Pokeweed Native to the Eastern U.S. Poisonous berries, roots and leaves Young shoots edible Used medicinally Spreads by seeds, birds love it Seeds survive composting
Verbena bonariensis
Bad weeds to be on the look out for. Portuguese broom Paterson s curse Giant Hogweed False brome Star thistle Lesser Celandine
Grows up to 12 feet tall Pale yellow flowers Stems with 8 to 10 ridges Small compound leaves with 3 leaflets White, hairy seed pods Portuguese Broom
Paterson s Curse Grows up to 3 feet tall Leaves larger at bottom of plant Leaves and stems densely covered in stiff hairs Purple, funnelshaped flowers
Giant Hogweed Up to 15 feet tall Stems with dark purple spots and bristles Giant Hogweed Compound leaves up to 5 feet wide Small white flowers clustered in an umbrella shaped head
False Brome Grows in bunches Hairy leaf edges and lower stems Drooping leaves and seed heads BRIGHT APPLE GREEN COLOR
What can You do? Learn to identify invasive species, eradicate them when you find them, and avoid planting them. Dispose of weeds and invasive plants properly, don t dump them in the woods or over the fence. Educate your friends and neighbors about these weeds. Clean your car, boots and tools after driving, walking or working in an infested area. Choose native plants or plants known NOT to be invasive Don t plant wildflower mixes without knowing everything that is in them, many contain weeds or invasives. Report plants on the ODA list to 1-866- INVADER or 503-986-4612
Think LOCALLY! Learn your local native plant species, and their habitats: protect them, adore their beauty, diversity and uniqueness! Use them. Collect seed or cuttings locally (with permission); buy from local nurseries who propagate responsibly from local stock. Follow the native gardening guidelines at NPSOregon.org. Learn the wildland invasive species; recognize they are beautiful and unique in their local, native lands. Avoid using them -- and help eradicate escapees.
Klamathweed (aka St. Johnswort)- blooms early before Tansy Ragwort TansyRagwort
Foxglove-white or purple Poison Oak
Death Camas- Flowers totally different from edible camas Jimsonweed- strong scent. Found here occasionally
Poison Hemlock-Conium maculatum Water Hemlock-Circuta douglasii
Bittersweet Nightshade- Solanum dulcamara A perennial vine
Weed Management Prevention! Biological Cultural Mechanical Herbicide (last choice and often avoidable) Natural Synthetic
Prevention Keeping weeds out is better than weeding out. To watch out for: Bringing in soil, new potted plants, not cleaning tools between areas Buying in invasive plants Carrying in seeds on your clothes or pets Avoid careless landscapers
Cultural Once prevention has failed, the major weapons for a gardener are cultural & mechanical Try living mulch, regular mulches. Create a dynamic soil suited to the chosen plants-ph & nutrients Water and fertilize only the chosen plants.
Mechanical Hoe, hoe, hoe works but is a lot of work Use a scuffle type hoe for young weeds Concentrated weeding while desired plants are young. Flaming Heavy mulching Landscape cloth
Some Major Weed Families-Dicots Asteraceae Numerous small flowers in a head resembling a single large flower. May have disc and tube flowers. Very large group. Sunflower family. Spotted catsear, dandelion, cocklebur, knapweed, thistles, mayweed (dog fennel), tansy ragwort, sowthistle, lettuces, chicory, salsify, goldenrod, Daisies, Starthistle, pineappleweed, groundsel and MANY others
Apiaceae-Parsley family Flowers in umbrella like clusters. Leaves usually divided, even fernlike. Sheath at the base of the petiole. Stems usually hollow with alternate leaves. Wild carrot, bur chervil, cow parsnip, poison hemlock, western water hemlock.
Brassicaceae - Mustard 4 petals in shape of a cross, 6 stamens with 2 short and 4 long. Fruit either round or long slender pods. All wild mustards, shepherdspurse, wild radish, wintercress, bittercress
Fabaceae Pea family Lvs alternate, mostly compound, pinnate, tri-foliate or finger-like. Flowers often butterfly like with banner, keel and wings. Superior ovary with 2 to many ovules on a singe placenta. Very large group. Vetch, brooms, alfalfa, lupines, medic, clovers, gorse
Solanaceae tomato family Usually five petals fused together. Starshaped flower. Often rank scented, leaves alternate. All the nightshades, horsenettle, buffalobur, Jimsonweed. Many toxic.
Lamiaceae Mint family Square stems, paired opposite, leaves, often pungent. More or less irregular flowers (lipped). Henbit (no petioles on upper leaves), red dead nettle (petioles on upper leaves), ground ivy, heal-all, mints, salvias, hedge nettles.
Polygonaceae-Buckwheat family Swollen nodes, papery sheath usually, alternate simple leaves, fruit triangular or lens-shaped (winged). Has swollen nodes and often zig-zag stem. Sheep sorrel, docks, wild buckwheat (looks like bindweed when young), knotweeds, smartweed.
Ranunculaceae- Buttercup family Large family. Leaves usually alternate, often like crow s foot. Sap often toxic. Flowers mostly perfect & complete. Ovary superior, unlike rose. Sepals many. Domed receptacle with many stamens. Buttercups main weed group. Columbines and larkspurs also in this group.
Rubiaceae Coffee family Lvs opposite or whorled. Flowers irregular. Corolla mostly 4 parted. Many dye plants. Our main weed here is Bedstraw, Galium sp.
Geraniaceae Crane s-bill family Lvs variable, often deeply lobed. Sepals 5, free to barely united, persistent. Corolla usually 5 petals inserted at base of floral disc. The crane s bill is the pistil. Crane s-bill, geranium most common weeds
Malvaceae Hollyhock family Lvs simple, alternate, entire or lobed, often palmately veined with stipules. Flowers usually regular & complete. Stamens many fused into a partial tube. Stigmas reach above stamens. Ovary superior. Weeds here Abutilon, common mallow (cheeses).
Urticaceae Stinging Nettle family Flowers greenish and not showy in axils. Lvs opposite & simple with stipules, usually toothed. Stems in ours tough & fibrous, square or ridged with stinging hairs. Stinging nettle, a very useful herb.
Oxidalidaceae Oxalis family Leaves clover-like without stipules. Calyx of 5 free sepals, overlapping and 5 petals. Stamens 10, often fused at base. Juice often sour (oxalic acid). Small running garden oxalis often reddish with yellow flowers. Flowers open, not like clover flowers.
Rosaceae Rose family Flowers terminal, usually perfect. Calex usually 5. Corolla of 5 separate petals. Stamens many around the ovary. Many fruits in this group. Blackberries, raspberries, roses, Indian Plum etc. Of interest to us: Armenian, Evergreen and Creeping blackberries.
Onagraceae- Fireweed family Lvs usually opposite or whorled. Flower often showy. Sepals usually 4, inserted on the rim of the tube or just above the ovary. Fruit a capsule or berry (fuchsia). Inferior ovary, sepals and petals in 4 s. Fireweed, willow weed, Evening Primrose
Anacardiaceae Cashew family Leaves compound & shining. Bark smooth. Irritating oil. Fruit a dry drupe, ridged. Poison oak our signature plant
Scrophulariaceae- Snapdragon family Very divers family with more or less irregular flowers. 5-lobed and usually with 4 stamens. Fruit a 2-chambered, many seeded capsule. Toadflax, mulleins, speedwells, foxglove
Chenopodiaceae-Spinach family Inconspicuous flowers, mostly alternate leaves. No bracts at base of flower. Mature stems grooved or angular, often with red or light green striations. Summer annual. Lambsquarters (aka goosefoot) with goosefoot shaped leaves and white mealy underside. Also called pigweed. Only common weed member here. Quinoa a cultivated relative.
Amaranthaceae- Pigweed family Minute greenish flowers with 3 small, stiff bracts at the base of each flower. Flowers born in plume-like clusters. Redroot pigweed, now. Summer annuals.
Portulacaceae Moss rose family Fleshy annual, flowers small to showy with 2 greenish sepals. Stamens opposite petals. Leaves paired, stems often prostrate, succulent and tinged with red. Purslane, my favorite one, Miner s lettuce
Caryophyllaceae - Pinks Opposite leaves from swollen nodes. Five notched petals and sepals. Fruit a bladder or inflated capsule. Usually with 5 teeth at the top. Mouse-ear chickweed (creeping perennial), chickweed (winter annual), corn cockle, corn spurry, bouncing Bet (soapwort)
Euphorbiaceae - Spurges Many poisonous, milky irritant juice often. Flowers usually subtended by bracts. Fruit a 3-seeded capsule. Mole plant, all spurges
Hypericaceae St. Johnswort Flowers yellow, stamens many, usually in 3 groups. Leaves opposite and stalkless. Flowers before Tansy Ragwort. St. Johnswort-toxic to livestock, medicinal
Convolvulaceae Morning Glory Flowers usually trumpet shaped, some showy. Plants usually twining or trailing. Leaves alternate, frequently heart-shaped or arrowhead-shaped. Field bindweed, Hedge bindweed, dodder. Dodder is reduced to yellow or reddish threads, twining on other plants as a parasite.
Boraginaceae - Comfrey Alternate leaves, usually rough and hairy. Flowers often curved like a fiddle neck. Five petals united for more than one-half their length. Fruit is four nutlets around inner eye. Forget-me-not, Popcorn flower, borage
Dipsacaceae Teasel Opposite leaves with leaf bases forming a cup. Spines on middle of leaf. Flowers in dense spikes, blooming in circles consecutively. Teasel.
Plantaginaceae Plantain Flowers borne on spike and greenish, brownish or white. Parallel-veined leaves in rosette. Often in very compacted soil. Plantain the only one here: broadleaf, English (also know as lanceleaf or buckhorn) Medicinal.
Monocot Weeds Poaceae- can be very hard to ID Small inconspicuous flower in spikelets. Leaves 2-ranked & linear with parallel veins. Sheath surrounds the stem. Crabgrass, foxtail, velvetgrass, bromes, annual bluegrass, barnyard grass, johnsongrass, wild oat, quackgrass
Cyperaceae - Sedge Solid stems, triangular. 3-ranked leaves, Flowers reduced. Often in wet areas. Yellow nutsedge, bulrush, all sedges Sedges have edges, reeds are round, rushes are found where water abounds
Juncaceae - Rushes Stems round & pith-filled. Grasslike plants of wet places. Ovary with more than one ovule. Local name for some is Swamp grass
Liliaceae-Alliaceae-Amarylladaceae A rather confused group. Used to be just Liliaceae. Our weedy group is in the Alliaceae or garlic/onion group. Flowers in parts of 3, total of 6. Wild garlic (round stems), wild onion (flat stems) USDA still classes under Liliaceae
Alliaceae Usually with bulbs or rhizomes. Simple basal leaves. Flowers showy with 6 petallike parts (3 petals & 3 sepals) Wild garlic and wild onion Still in Liliaceae are camas, death camas and others classes as lilies.
A Lesson from the Weeds Never give up. 600 year old mustard seeds still had some germination. 40-50 for field bindweed and lambsquarters. Think outside the box. Be open to many different techniques. Adapt to where you are. If you have lemons, make lemonade.
And Always Remember NATURE BATS LAST! Aside from the officially noxious invaders, most weeds are actually a part of the integrated ecosystem of foods, habitat and diversity.
Weed Pictures Scotch Broom Cytisus scoparius Annual bluegrass Poa annua
Creeping Buttercup Ranunculus repens
Canada Thistle- Cirsium arvense
Field Bindweed- Convolvulus arvensis Gorse-Ulex europaeus Armenian Blackberry- Rubus armeniacus (was Himalaya blackberry)
Wild garlic-allium vineale
Quackgrass-Elymus repens The garden scourge
Groundsel Senecio vulgaris Mole plant Euphorbia lathyrus
Nipplewort Lapsana communis Petty Spurge Epilobium peplus Poison Hemlock Conium maculatum P o
Sheep sorrel Rumex acetosella Bull Thistle Cirsium vulgare
Water Hemlock Conium douglasii Cow Parsnip Heracleum lanatum
Ground Ivy (usually prostrate, shiny green) Glechoma hederacea
Heal-All Prunella vulgaris Red Dead Nettle Prunella purpurea
Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)
Bibliography Weeds: Guardians of the Soil Joseph Concannouer Weeds and What They Tell Ehrenfried Pfeiffer Weeds in My Garden Charles B. Heiser Wildly Successful Plants Lawrence Crockett My Weeds Sara Stein Handbook of Northwestern Plants, Dennis & Gilkey PNW Weed Control Handbook, OSU (front pages very informative) *Weeds of the West *Common Sense Pest Management, Chapter 27, Olkowski & Olkowski *Weeds of the Pacific Northwest. Pojar & McKinnon Northwest Weeds Ronald Taylor Weeds CD available through Linda. It has great pix of the weeds.