Master Gardeners

What is a weed? Plants such as dandelion, horsetail, cat’s ear, fireweed, Scotch broom and Himalayan blackberry all come to mind. Some of these, like dandelion, horsetail, cat’s ear and fireweed, are just “a plant out of place.” They are growing where we don’t want them, but they often aren’t causing harm.

Some of the others listed, however, are plants that Washington has deemed noxious weeds because they are invasive, nonnative plants that threaten agricultural crops, local ecosystems, or fish and wildlife habitats. Scotch broom and Himalayan blackberry are both examples of noxious weeds.

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