But it's so pretty…
Posted May 29, 2009 at 4:34 am by Ian Byington
Scotch broom...pretty bad. Pull it!
It’s the time of year you see it everywhere, and the pretty yellow flowers on it are why that Scottish guy brought it to Victoria years ago.
Well, scotch broom is a noxious weed. A mature plant produces in excess of 10,000 seeds that can be ejected as far as 20 feet. Since those seeds can remain viable in the soil for more than 60 years, keeping uninfested land free of broom is pretty important.
What’s so noxious about all this? Well, for example, it is estimated that in Oregon it is responsible for USD$47 million in lost timber production each year in that state. That’s pretty noxious.
The County’s website has a bit about this:
Why control Scotch broom? Scotch broom threatens San Juan County’s fragile ecosytems including madrone and Garry oak woodlands, meadows, shore-side cliffs and rocky balds by competing for space, nutrients, light and water. It forms dense stands of unpalatable vegetation which, when dry, pose a fire hazard.
It’s gonna be easier to pull now than later (did I tell you about the 10K seeds? C’mon!) … here’s more from the WSU Extension’s website (click here.) -oo-
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Categories: Enviro Corner
One comment:
One comment...
It’s also a horribly potent allergen! This stuff was responsible for the worst allergy attack I’ve ever seen my husband go through. He was completely miserable until we figured out that the one scotch broom plant we had was the culprit and removed it. If I recall correctly the sap is also an irritant to skin so it’s a good idea to wear gloves when removing it.
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