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California Gardening

California Invasive Species Action Week

faerygardener z7 CA

6 years ago

California Invasive Species Action Week is wrapping up. Started by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, its purpose is to increase public awareness of invasive species that threaten our native flora and fauna, as well as inspire public participation to help fight these pernicious pests that have such a negative impact on our natural resources. If you ever have questions about invasive species – or want to check databases of what is invasive – go to Cal IPC http://cal-ipc.org . Please help spread the word that trading plants into CA could be disastrous for our environment and economy. Many here on Houzz continue to do it although it is against CA law (chatted about in another thread).

The California Native Plant Society has been doing a great job with their Facebook page in highlighting an invasive plant every day. Here are the links if you want to check them out.

Scotch Broom http://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaNativePlantSociety/photos/a.220113598025764.48220.107058652664593/1345904432113336/?type=3&theater

Giant reed, Arundo donax. http://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaNativePlantSociety/photos/a.220113598025764.48220.107058652664593/1349890458381400/?type=3&theater

Many invasives that destroy our native populations first came in as ornamental plants - tamarisk, also commonly known as saltcedar http://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaNativePlantSociety/photos/pcb.1349041428466303/1349095525127560/?type=3&theater

Toadflax, Linaria vulgaris – pretty, but a destroyer http://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaNativePlantSociety/photos/a.220113598025764.48220.107058652664593/1346837475353365/?type=3&theater

Cape Ivy http://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaNativePlantSociety/photos/pcb.1347884621915317/1347870165250096/?type=3&theater

And, the bane of my area – Yellow Star Thistle http://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaNativePlantSociety/photos/a.220113598025764.48220.107058652664593/1349022508468195/?type=3&theater

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Comments (3)

faerygardener z7 CA
Original Author
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Writing FB posts, so will share more here too.

Today’s thought for California Invasive Species Action Week -

Do No Harm. Individual choice can have disastrous affects on wild lands and the ecology. Did you know that Citrus Greening - the disease that has almost wiped out Florida citrus crops and is now in California was most likely brought into CA illegally by a backyard gardener? http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74155.html And, to Florida through illegally imported plant material? https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/microbes/citrusgreen.shtml Other states have Japanese beetles that feed on about 300 species of plants, flowers, and fruit; squash vine borers that attack vine crops of summer squash, winter squash, and pumpkins (I know gardeners that can’t get any summer squash at all anymore without a great deal of extra work, most just give up) and Tomato yellow leaf curl where it is not uncommon for losses of 100% to be experienced in fields with heavily infected plants. The host plant can be very different than the ones we see infected.

There is solid reasoning behind our laws and quarantines that no plant material (living, dried, bulb, tuber, rooted cuttings, cuttings) may be shipped in to California unless it is from a company with phytosanitary certificates. https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/PE/transport_animals_plants.html

We are free from many invasive insect, weed and disease species that wreck havoc on agriculture and environments in other states and countries. Our State is surrounded by natural barriers — towering mountains to the north and east, scorching desert to the south, and vast ocean to the west. Most plant pests cannot cross these barriers on their own; however, the State is under constant threat of pest introductions by man. Do No Harm. Please continue to spread the word that trading out of state plants into CA is illegal and a really really bad idea. (last bit from https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/pe/ExteriorExclusion/borders.html ). Thanks!
lgteacher
6 years ago
Here's another good resource; Keeping invasive species out
faerygardener z7 CA thanked lgteacher
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I agree that the term is used a lot, but the world has gotten so small that the problem has gotten huge. Invasive plants can wipe out native species and habitats. I used to work for a noxious weed board on the west coast. Some plants that are illegal there are sold in nurseries in my area. It took a while to get over my shock when we first moved here. Most states have weed boards that try to educate the public(many have websites)but not all states enforce eradication. Once you have a solid acre or more of say, Japanese Knotweed, or Purple Loosestrife filling in your lakefront, you come to understand the term "invasive". An example of an invasive species in zone 4 is Knapweed. There is so much of it, people think it is a native...and beekeepers love it. Another is Asian Honeysuckle. One of the reasons these plants are so rampant is because they are not in their native area where there would be natural controls(animals and insects). Most of them have escaped gardens, but some were brought in by the government for erosion control and highway buffers, as in Scotchbroom(the plant that ate the west coast!). The DNR in many states tries to keep these species under control, but they definitely need the help of the public. I'm not meaning to rant, just share a little info :)
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Researchers spend major time updating their knowledge. Why do you link a file from 8 years ago? Also, there is a difference between LR (List Rating) and NWR (Noxious Weed Rating) although both use letter system. With regard to Chinese Pistache, the fact is clear. In 1999, it is listed in the category under "Need More Information" section. If you print out the brochure, you shall realize that the banner "Exotic Pest Plants of Greatest Ecological Concern in California" is on top of every odd numbered page. It is a page banner. It is not a title of this section. The banner for even pages is "The California Exotic Pest Plant Conuncil". I guess that you misread this. It is outdated in any case. The current list, as of August 11 2007, is located publicly at http://www.cal-ipc.org/ip/inventory/weedlist.php The easy-to-understand CA-IPC scores are: A = Severe B = Moderate C= Limited D = None For example, in the list German ivy (Delairea odorate) is rated A. Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila) which you cannot recognize is listed B. Gum rockrose (Cistus ladanifer) is C. Chinese pistache is no longer listed as "Need More Information". It is rated as level C = limited invasiveness. Their naturalized distribution is rated D = None. Is this clear to you?
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LOL..I had experience at my old house digging up 4 oclocks. I think I got a 4'root that was shaped like fat legs of a man. I had three huge plants like that and a multitude of babies. I kept at it and finally succeeded. There are some nice native 4 o'clocks that are better behaved. I am sitting here wondering about Salvia chiquita. It is new in the trade (8 years or so) and in my yard, I am starting to think it is enterely TOO Happy. THousands of seedlings this year.Years ago, I was unaware of the invasive list when I planted ruella ( maybe it was not on it yet) at my old house and same with the tahitian bridal veil. they both took over good. I whish I had known that there was a list to get information from 30 years ago. I think I would have made some different decisions. I sold that house. I weeded it to peices before I left but I went back and yes it is back.I am a lot more careful now. I am taking the salvia to a plant swap with warnings to keep an eye on it. It is not on the list, but is it only a matter of time I am afraid. Maybe people in clay will have a different experience. I backed the salvia off away from the slope...Same with the Roman Chamomile. I am looking sideways at both now and feeling maybe this is the year that I start yanking. I googled for info on the net and I have not seen the salvia mentioned. I do know that California has problems with some invasive salvias. They have the wet winter dry summer rythm. It seeds out in dry winters and wet winters, just a lot more on wet winters. If there is someone out there that has experience with this in the central Texas canyon land area and has some thoughts about the seeding habits of these plants.
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hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
6 years ago
Well, in honor of that I went and pulled some Ricinus communis sprouting along the road nearby.

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