Reimagining Our Courts

July 8, 2025

I'm a big fan of low-hanging fruit.  No ladder or climbing needed.  Just lazily wander over and pop the sweet treats in your mouth.  #Winning!

The metaphor works for so many things, even invasive plants!  As a tiny team of 3 staff members covering the county, we count on YOU to take action on noxious weeds for the benefit of your neighbors, and in stewardship to our special island home.  With that in mind, we're here to support you, and remind you that you don't need fancy tools, abundant spare time, nor physical prowess to take action.  

The low-hanging fruit of the noxious weed world is in preventing the buggers from going to seed, which they are BUSY doing at this time of the year.  Since a single plant can produce thousands of seed that can sprout for years to come, your goal is to simply nip off their seed-producing flowers, heads, or branch tips.  Do this with gloved hands and a sharp tool, as some species are poisonous.  Often this work can be done at waist height (no bending over!).  In this way, one person can move through a patch in minutes and have a BIG impact.

Depending on your location and timing, your noxious weeds may already be close to dropping seed or already shedding seed.  It's best to put those bits in a plastic trash bag and take them to your transfer station for FREE disposal.  Hot Tip:  Just bring the seed producing parts of the plant to the dump to save you time and garbage bags.   Leave the rest of the plant to dry up and decompose on site.

Another poison hemlock factory snuffed out in seconds by a watchful citizen!

There's still time to get a C in your Invasive Plant Management class by taking a moment to lop off the seedpod-producing branches of your Scotch broom plants.  I'll consider you for a B if you dive in and nip the sucker off at soil level.  When Scotch broom pods turn black and brittle, the pod ruptures, spreading seed far from the source.  Please DO NOT TRANSPORT Scotch broom debris that is actively scattering seed.

When it comes to noxious weeds like common teasel, your granny was right!  An ounce of prevention IS worth a pound of cure!  Take a second now to deal with your weeds before they get a chance to send their seed off to your neighbor's yard.

Consider the term "K-BLAMMM" in the context of tansy ragwort.  It clearly communicates a one-two punch, which is what this character requires when it's in bloom.  First clip and bag the flower heads, then yank the stalk out by the root.  If you just "BLAMMM," the uprooted tansy is likely to have enough energy to create seed when your back is turned.  

Did I lose you?  Visit the "Resources" tab for species-specific control strategies or contact the San Juan County Noxious Weed Control Department for more support:  noxiousweeds@sanjuancountywa.gov or 360-376-3499.

Thank you for making a little time today to keep invasive plants in check!