THE NEVERENDING
story by Benjamin Alva Polley
illustrations by Shelly Sterner
illustrations by Shelly Sterner
Far deadlier in the long haul than predators, wild re and maybe even suburban sprawl, noxious weeds will turn 3 million acres into a wasteland for elk and other wildlife this year.
Tom Henderson of Bitterroot Out tters started spraying
weeds in the backcountry 25 years ago after habitat managers contacted him, knowing he had a string of mules up to the task. That rst effort opened his eyes to the war being waged to keep noxious plants from taking over the very places that have for decades fueled his dreams of hunting and adventure—and his livelihood.
The ght stretched from just beyond Henderson’s front door in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley up into national forest and the high-country cathedrals of the Selway-Bitterroot and Frank Church-River of No Return wildernesses beyond. He soon found himself looking for weeds everywhere he went, especially on his trips guiding hunters into the wilderness.
“When my cook is not tending to the biscuits, we are spraying weeds,” Henderson says. “We are always spraying weeds.”
The problem is widespread enough that he rarely needs to look far. Invasive weeds deploy ingenious ways to penetrate the backcountry. They latch onto vehicles, clothes, shoelaces, pets and livestock; weasel into hay bales, seeds or feed; drift down rivers and ride the wind. Unfortunately, none of this is unique to the Bitterroot. All across elk country, noxious weeds from foreign lands have impoverished a huge sweep of America’s best remaining wildlife habitat.
Unleashed from the ecosystems where they evolved with predators and competitors that held them in check, noxious weeds
Tom Henderson of Bitterroot Out tters started spraying
weeds in the backcountry 25 years ago after habitat managers contacted him, knowing he had a string of mules up to the task. That rst effort opened his eyes to the war being waged to keep noxious plants from taking over the very places that have for decades fueled his dreams of hunting and adventure—and his livelihood.
The ght stretched from just beyond Henderson’s front door in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley up into national forest and the high-country cathedrals of the Selway-Bitterroot and Frank Church-River of No Return wildernesses beyond. He soon found himself looking for weeds everywhere he went, especially on his trips guiding hunters into the wilderness.
“When my cook is not tending to the biscuits, we are spraying weeds,” Henderson says. “We are always spraying weeds.”
The problem is widespread enough that he rarely needs to look far. Invasive weeds deploy ingenious ways to penetrate the backcountry. They latch onto vehicles, clothes, shoelaces, pets and livestock; weasel into hay bales, seeds or feed; drift down rivers and ride the wind. Unfortunately, none of this is unique to the Bitterroot. All across elk country, noxious weeds from foreign lands have impoverished a huge sweep of America’s best remaining wildlife habitat.
Unleashed from the ecosystems where they evolved with predators and competitors that held them in check, noxious weeds
PHOTO: RMEF
JUL/AUG 2017 • BUGLE • 103
become monsters. They overrun and undermine
the rich diversity of grasses and forbs that elk, deer and pronghorn depend on, replacing them with veritable junk food that is often downright poisonous to wildlife—and livestock, too. One University
of Montana study found that after focused weed treatment, native grass production rebounded
from 48 pounds per acre to 1,620 pounds. The U.S. government recognizes 4,000 exotic plants. All told, they cost the nation more than $24 billion in lost productivity annually, with another $10 billion spent directly on ghting weeds each year.
Invasive weeds now infest one out of every ve acres of western public land. Every day they take over another 4,600 acres of our nest public elk habitat. Add in private and state land and they will cripple 3 million acres of elk country this year. That’s like having weeds covering every foot of Yellowstone and Glacier national parks. Yet for every defeat there is a victory in this war as private and public lands stewards treat hundreds of thousands of acres every year to stop or at least slow the invasion.
Hal Pearce, U.S. Forest Service Region 2 Weed Coordinator, oversees Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and eastern Wyoming. He advises people who feel devastated by invasive plants to size up the problem, make a plan and work toward a goal.
“It’s amazing that it looks so overwhelming, but suddenly three to four years later it is pretty manageable.”
He stresses the value of private landowners joining forces with state and federal land managers to present a united front.
“Partnerships with landowners and nonpro ts are so important because if we are only ghting invasives on federal land, then we have these huge seed banks, and the tide can only be held back for so long,” Pearce says. “We stand to lose a real treasure in
the rich diversity of grasses and forbs that elk, deer and pronghorn depend on, replacing them with veritable junk food that is often downright poisonous to wildlife—and livestock, too. One University
of Montana study found that after focused weed treatment, native grass production rebounded
from 48 pounds per acre to 1,620 pounds. The U.S. government recognizes 4,000 exotic plants. All told, they cost the nation more than $24 billion in lost productivity annually, with another $10 billion spent directly on ghting weeds each year.
Invasive weeds now infest one out of every ve acres of western public land. Every day they take over another 4,600 acres of our nest public elk habitat. Add in private and state land and they will cripple 3 million acres of elk country this year. That’s like having weeds covering every foot of Yellowstone and Glacier national parks. Yet for every defeat there is a victory in this war as private and public lands stewards treat hundreds of thousands of acres every year to stop or at least slow the invasion.
Hal Pearce, U.S. Forest Service Region 2 Weed Coordinator, oversees Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and eastern Wyoming. He advises people who feel devastated by invasive plants to size up the problem, make a plan and work toward a goal.
“It’s amazing that it looks so overwhelming, but suddenly three to four years later it is pretty manageable.”
He stresses the value of private landowners joining forces with state and federal land managers to present a united front.
“Partnerships with landowners and nonpro ts are so important because if we are only ghting invasives on federal land, then we have these huge seed banks, and the tide can only be held back for so long,” Pearce says. “We stand to lose a real treasure in
our ecosystems if we don’t build relationships.” RMEF embraces that view wholeheartedly
and has taken a leading role ghting weeds for the good of elk and other wildlife. Since 1989, RMEF has invested $7.3 million to help fund 765 stewardship projects in 22 states. That leveraged another $28.4 million from agencies and private landowners to treat more than half a million acres of vital elk country.
Tom Toman, RMEF director of science and planning says this is money well spent. These
exotic invaders often sprout earlier and go to seed before native competitors. Many secrete toxins from their roots or leaves to weaken or kill their native neighbors while leaving their own kind primed to reproduce. Noxious weeds also ramp up soil erosion, fouling streams critical for spawning trout, salmon and other native sh.
“Weeds are a bigger threat to wildlife habitat than even suburban sprawl,” Pearce says. Toman agrees and is proud that RMEF offers grants that agencies, organizations and individuals can apply for to ght weeds on both public and private lands.
“Many people think there is nothing we can do about it,” says Toman. “This isn’t true. There is hope through collaboration, education, early detection, prevention, biological control methods, burning, chemicals, grazing, hand-pulling, mechanical methods and replanting.”
Once a weed infestation is in full swing, the
best defense is a targeted, integrated approach drawn from the full quiver of methods. Yet the single most effective method is spotting and attacking new infestations before they get out of control. Elk hunters and other wildland wanderers can play a vital role
in this, knowing how to identify the bad guys, then quickly reporting them to weed managers. To aid in that effort, here are 10 weeds of serious concern to
elk managers:
and has taken a leading role ghting weeds for the good of elk and other wildlife. Since 1989, RMEF has invested $7.3 million to help fund 765 stewardship projects in 22 states. That leveraged another $28.4 million from agencies and private landowners to treat more than half a million acres of vital elk country.
Tom Toman, RMEF director of science and planning says this is money well spent. These
exotic invaders often sprout earlier and go to seed before native competitors. Many secrete toxins from their roots or leaves to weaken or kill their native neighbors while leaving their own kind primed to reproduce. Noxious weeds also ramp up soil erosion, fouling streams critical for spawning trout, salmon and other native sh.
“Weeds are a bigger threat to wildlife habitat than even suburban sprawl,” Pearce says. Toman agrees and is proud that RMEF offers grants that agencies, organizations and individuals can apply for to ght weeds on both public and private lands.
“Many people think there is nothing we can do about it,” says Toman. “This isn’t true. There is hope through collaboration, education, early detection, prevention, biological control methods, burning, chemicals, grazing, hand-pulling, mechanical methods and replanting.”
Once a weed infestation is in full swing, the
best defense is a targeted, integrated approach drawn from the full quiver of methods. Yet the single most effective method is spotting and attacking new infestations before they get out of control. Elk hunters and other wildland wanderers can play a vital role
in this, knowing how to identify the bad guys, then quickly reporting them to weed managers. To aid in that effort, here are 10 weeds of serious concern to
elk managers:
104 • BUGLE • JUL/AUG 2017
PHOTO: RMEF
The Best Defense If you spot one of these weeds in the backcountry, take a photo and mark it on your GPS if possible. Then contact your county weed district or the local office of the Forest
You Skeletonweed
Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Bureau of Land Management or state wildlife agency and ask to speak to the range management specialist or noxious weed coordinator. It really does make a big difference.
Aptly named rush skeletonweed has quickly grown infamous as it gallops across Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho and now Montana.
“I feel like I am on top of a dike that springs a leak, and before you know it, I am plugging holes with all 10 fingers and all 10 toes,” says Bitterroot National Forest ecologist Gil Gail. This Eurasian native sprouts 20,000 seeds per plant. Like dandelion seeds, they’re built to ride the wind for miles. This has blown it deep into the backcountry far from any trail to places that can be nearly impossible to treat before an area becomes a trash-forage monoculture. Agencies, weed districts and groups like RMEF are joining forces in a bid to stop or at least slow its spread, attacking new infestations before they gain a foothold.
Spotted Knapweed
Knapweed hitchhiked with alfalfa seed shipments from Eurasia to America
in the 1800s. It now chokes out native plants across the West, grasping the dirt with a stout taproot and injecting its own herbicide into the soil to kill off its native neighbors. It gets a jump on other plants in early spring, then generates flowers and thousands of seeds straight into the fall after most plants have shriveled. Researchers have counted infestations with 2 million plants per acre, snuffing native forage so completely that biologists have seen declines in elk, mule deer, moose and pronghorn numbers in hard-hit locations. Yet beetles that attack the seeds and roots, combined with repeated annual treatments of herbicide, can K.O. knapweed and restore the vitality of infested landscapes.
“I feel like I am on top of a dike that springs a leak, and before you know it, I am plugging holes with all 10 fingers and all 10 toes,” says Bitterroot National Forest ecologist Gil Gail. This Eurasian native sprouts 20,000 seeds per plant. Like dandelion seeds, they’re built to ride the wind for miles. This has blown it deep into the backcountry far from any trail to places that can be nearly impossible to treat before an area becomes a trash-forage monoculture. Agencies, weed districts and groups like RMEF are joining forces in a bid to stop or at least slow its spread, attacking new infestations before they gain a foothold.
Spotted Knapweed
Knapweed hitchhiked with alfalfa seed shipments from Eurasia to America
in the 1800s. It now chokes out native plants across the West, grasping the dirt with a stout taproot and injecting its own herbicide into the soil to kill off its native neighbors. It gets a jump on other plants in early spring, then generates flowers and thousands of seeds straight into the fall after most plants have shriveled. Researchers have counted infestations with 2 million plants per acre, snuffing native forage so completely that biologists have seen declines in elk, mule deer, moose and pronghorn numbers in hard-hit locations. Yet beetles that attack the seeds and roots, combined with repeated annual treatments of herbicide, can K.O. knapweed and restore the vitality of infested landscapes.
Number of states reporting infestations: 19
Most effective treatment: Herbicides or biocontrols
Most effective treatment: Herbicides or biocontrols
Number of states reporting infestations: 47
Most effective treatment: Herbicides and biocontrols
Most effective treatment: Herbicides and biocontrols
JUL/AUG 2017 • BUGLE • 105
Yellow Starthistle
Covered in yellow flowers and wicked thorns, this invasive arrived in California as
a stowaway from the Mediterranean in the 1850s and quickly spread across five other western states. Starthistle barely needs water to survive, and takes advantage of drought and wildfire to infiltrate prime wildlife habitat, choking out native plants with impenetrable stands five feet tall. It’s also poisonous—paralyzing the lips, tongues and esophagus of livestock and wildlife alike, eventually leading to starvation. People, meanwhile, need chaps to walk through it, as starthistle can shred jeans in minutes. Most importantly, anyone
that tangles with starthistle either on foot or in a vehicle needs to inspect for seeds. They eagerly cling to fur, hair or clothing, and readily adhere to the tires and undercarriages of vehicles. They can also infiltrate hay not certified as weed-free.
Cheatgrass
This grass of Europe, Africa and Asia snuck into the U.S. in a wheat shipment in 1861. It’s now found in all 50 states and has overrun more than 100 million
acres in the West, disrupting and displacing the bunchgrass and sagebrush communities on which thousands of elk and mule deer rely. When most plants
have barely turned green, cheat is already done growing and is curing to a rusty
red, ready to vomit arrow-shaped seeds tailor-made to drive pets, livestock, wildlife and sock-wearing humans crazy. It has notoriously shallow roots that deplete soil organics
and kill off lichen, fungi and microbes that store water, slow erosion and stymie wildfire. By mid-summer, cheatgrass is so combustible that it’s often compared to gasoline. Research shows it has accelerated average fire rates in some areas from twice per century to almost once
a year. Yet there is hope: a bacterium native to North America that weakens cheatgrass root systems and allows native plants to compete has been greenlighted by regulators, and is now being tested as a bio-herbicidal spray. Here’s hoping it proves lethal to cheat.
Saltcedar (aka Tamarisk)
Imported from Eurasia in the 1800s for wood, shade and
erosion control, saltcedar proves useless for building or firewood,
grows too densely to shade anything but itself and guzzles
almost 5 million acre-feet of water annually from its preferred
habitats along river bottoms, desert springs and irrigation
waterways. In key arid elk states like Arizona, New Mexico and Utah,
that can mean the difference between flowing water surrounded by lush native vegetation or a bone-dry, alkaline streambed. Further diminishing forage quality for elk and other wildlife, fallen saltcedar leaves increase soil salinity and kill off microbes. Trees range from five to 25 feet, with roots penetrating 30 feet or more in search of water, and this exotic depletes riparian zones—elk’s most vital habitat in arid landscapes.
Covered in yellow flowers and wicked thorns, this invasive arrived in California as
a stowaway from the Mediterranean in the 1850s and quickly spread across five other western states. Starthistle barely needs water to survive, and takes advantage of drought and wildfire to infiltrate prime wildlife habitat, choking out native plants with impenetrable stands five feet tall. It’s also poisonous—paralyzing the lips, tongues and esophagus of livestock and wildlife alike, eventually leading to starvation. People, meanwhile, need chaps to walk through it, as starthistle can shred jeans in minutes. Most importantly, anyone
that tangles with starthistle either on foot or in a vehicle needs to inspect for seeds. They eagerly cling to fur, hair or clothing, and readily adhere to the tires and undercarriages of vehicles. They can also infiltrate hay not certified as weed-free.
Cheatgrass
This grass of Europe, Africa and Asia snuck into the U.S. in a wheat shipment in 1861. It’s now found in all 50 states and has overrun more than 100 million
acres in the West, disrupting and displacing the bunchgrass and sagebrush communities on which thousands of elk and mule deer rely. When most plants
have barely turned green, cheat is already done growing and is curing to a rusty
red, ready to vomit arrow-shaped seeds tailor-made to drive pets, livestock, wildlife and sock-wearing humans crazy. It has notoriously shallow roots that deplete soil organics
and kill off lichen, fungi and microbes that store water, slow erosion and stymie wildfire. By mid-summer, cheatgrass is so combustible that it’s often compared to gasoline. Research shows it has accelerated average fire rates in some areas from twice per century to almost once
a year. Yet there is hope: a bacterium native to North America that weakens cheatgrass root systems and allows native plants to compete has been greenlighted by regulators, and is now being tested as a bio-herbicidal spray. Here’s hoping it proves lethal to cheat.
Saltcedar (aka Tamarisk)
Imported from Eurasia in the 1800s for wood, shade and
erosion control, saltcedar proves useless for building or firewood,
grows too densely to shade anything but itself and guzzles
almost 5 million acre-feet of water annually from its preferred
habitats along river bottoms, desert springs and irrigation
waterways. In key arid elk states like Arizona, New Mexico and Utah,
that can mean the difference between flowing water surrounded by lush native vegetation or a bone-dry, alkaline streambed. Further diminishing forage quality for elk and other wildlife, fallen saltcedar leaves increase soil salinity and kill off microbes. Trees range from five to 25 feet, with roots penetrating 30 feet or more in search of water, and this exotic depletes riparian zones—elk’s most vital habitat in arid landscapes.
Number of states reporting infestations: 40
Most effective treatment: Herbicides or hand pulling
Most effective treatment: Herbicides or hand pulling
Number of states reporting infestations: 50
Most effective treatment: Herbicides or soil bacteria
Most effective treatment: Herbicides or soil bacteria
Number of states reporting infestations: 23
Most effective treatment: Burning/cutting followed by herbicides
Most effective treatment: Burning/cutting followed by herbicides
106 • BUGLE • JUL/AUG 2017
Leafy Spurge
In classic villain fashion, leafy spurge oozes toxic milk when pulled up by human hands or the mouths of wildlife and livestock. The liquid causes eye and skin irritation, blistering and even blindness. Just walking through it can make horses’ feet blister and lose hair. Ingesting spurge, meanwhile, bestows severe diarrhea and muscle weakness. And, as if all that isn’t bad enough, it grows an outrageously long and thick-skinned taproot, helping it shrug off drought, herbicide and fire. Leafy spurge
may be the toughest-to-kill weed on this list, perhaps because it appears to be a hybrid of two or more Old World spurges, a mongrel both hardy and adaptable. It runs wild in spring before most natives get a toehold. Then as it dries out, seedpods burst to fling seeds up to 20
feet. It specializes in overtaking riparian forage critical to elk and other species, creating a yellow, green then brown mosaic that has sullied broad landscapes throughout the Rockies and beyond.
Dalmatian and Yellow Toadflax
The quaint yellow blooms on Dalmatian and yellow toadflax resemble snapdragons, which helped them find their way from the Mediterranean into U.S. gardens in the 1800s. Yet beneath that attractive exterior lurks a plant filled with poisonous glucoside and as many as 500,000 seeds capable of leaving wildlife broke and breadless. Dalmatian toadflax averages three feet
tall while yellow toadflax, sometimes called butter and eggs, is often half that height. Large infestations of both plague most western states and have taken over more than 50,000 acres in Colorado alone.
Weed manager Hal Pearce says that yellow toadflax “is our biggest beast” on the White River National Forest, home to the world’s largest elk herd. Early detection at the sprout stage is key to defeating toadflax. Once a large root system is established and mature plants go to seed, it often requires 10 to 15 years of treatments to eliminate.
Scotch Broom
Now next to ubiquitous in the Pacific Northwest,
Scotch broom spells disaster for wildlife. It eliminates native
competitors by growing faster and more densely while also producing
tannins that make it unpalatable for wildlife. Each plant sheds thousands of seeds
that ride the wind or latch on to clothing and footwear. Vehicles are the most common distributor, sucking up the tiny seeds as they pass by, then sowing them down roadways. Scotch broom blankets meadows, powerline corridors and other openings, bad news for Roosevelt’s elk that depend on forest openings that can be few and far between in the Pacific Northwest. RMEF has partnered for many years with state and federal agencies to cut and spray this invasive, helping ensure the region’s limited sunlight can make it down to grasses and forbs below.
In classic villain fashion, leafy spurge oozes toxic milk when pulled up by human hands or the mouths of wildlife and livestock. The liquid causes eye and skin irritation, blistering and even blindness. Just walking through it can make horses’ feet blister and lose hair. Ingesting spurge, meanwhile, bestows severe diarrhea and muscle weakness. And, as if all that isn’t bad enough, it grows an outrageously long and thick-skinned taproot, helping it shrug off drought, herbicide and fire. Leafy spurge
may be the toughest-to-kill weed on this list, perhaps because it appears to be a hybrid of two or more Old World spurges, a mongrel both hardy and adaptable. It runs wild in spring before most natives get a toehold. Then as it dries out, seedpods burst to fling seeds up to 20
feet. It specializes in overtaking riparian forage critical to elk and other species, creating a yellow, green then brown mosaic that has sullied broad landscapes throughout the Rockies and beyond.
Dalmatian and Yellow Toadflax
The quaint yellow blooms on Dalmatian and yellow toadflax resemble snapdragons, which helped them find their way from the Mediterranean into U.S. gardens in the 1800s. Yet beneath that attractive exterior lurks a plant filled with poisonous glucoside and as many as 500,000 seeds capable of leaving wildlife broke and breadless. Dalmatian toadflax averages three feet
tall while yellow toadflax, sometimes called butter and eggs, is often half that height. Large infestations of both plague most western states and have taken over more than 50,000 acres in Colorado alone.
Weed manager Hal Pearce says that yellow toadflax “is our biggest beast” on the White River National Forest, home to the world’s largest elk herd. Early detection at the sprout stage is key to defeating toadflax. Once a large root system is established and mature plants go to seed, it often requires 10 to 15 years of treatments to eliminate.
Scotch Broom
Now next to ubiquitous in the Pacific Northwest,
Scotch broom spells disaster for wildlife. It eliminates native
competitors by growing faster and more densely while also producing
tannins that make it unpalatable for wildlife. Each plant sheds thousands of seeds
that ride the wind or latch on to clothing and footwear. Vehicles are the most common distributor, sucking up the tiny seeds as they pass by, then sowing them down roadways. Scotch broom blankets meadows, powerline corridors and other openings, bad news for Roosevelt’s elk that depend on forest openings that can be few and far between in the Pacific Northwest. RMEF has partnered for many years with state and federal agencies to cut and spray this invasive, helping ensure the region’s limited sunlight can make it down to grasses and forbs below.
Number of states reporting infestations: More than 5 million acres in 36 states
Most effective treatment: Herbicides and biocontrols combined with sheep/goat grazing
Most effective treatment: Herbicides and biocontrols combined with sheep/goat grazing
Number of states reporting infestations: Dalmatian toadflax: 30
Yellow toadflax: 47
Most effective treatment: Herbicides or newer biocontrols such as toadflax stem weevils
Yellow toadflax: 47
Most effective treatment: Herbicides or newer biocontrols such as toadflax stem weevils
Number of states reporting infestations: 26
Most effective treatment: Chop mechanically or manually and spray with herbicides
Most effective treatment: Chop mechanically or manually and spray with herbicides
JUL/AUG 2017 • BUGLE • 107
Autumn Olive
Like saltcedar, this tree was once seen as a panacea for erosion control, upland bird habitat and shade-creation. But since it was imported from China, Japan and Korea in the 1830s, autumn olive has had a field day out-competing and displacing native plants by forming dense shade clusters with little growing below. It churns out 200,000 seeds every year and can adapt to a staggering variety of habitats as its
nitrogen-fixing root nodules allow it to grow in even the poorest soils. Once land managers realized what a scourge this tree could be,
they were disturbed to find cutting or burning only seems to egg it on to grow more vigorously. Autumn
olive has quickly become one of the most troublesome shrubs in the central and eastern United States, including vital elk habitat in Kentucky and Tennessee, where game managers say it is their weed of greatest concern.
Like saltcedar, this tree was once seen as a panacea for erosion control, upland bird habitat and shade-creation. But since it was imported from China, Japan and Korea in the 1830s, autumn olive has had a field day out-competing and displacing native plants by forming dense shade clusters with little growing below. It churns out 200,000 seeds every year and can adapt to a staggering variety of habitats as its
nitrogen-fixing root nodules allow it to grow in even the poorest soils. Once land managers realized what a scourge this tree could be,
they were disturbed to find cutting or burning only seems to egg it on to grow more vigorously. Autumn
olive has quickly become one of the most troublesome shrubs in the central and eastern United States, including vital elk habitat in Kentucky and Tennessee, where game managers say it is their weed of greatest concern.
Number of states reporting infestations: 38
Most effective treatment: Cutting followed by herbicides,
and hand pulling of new sprouts
Most effective treatment: Cutting followed by herbicides,
and hand pulling of new sprouts
Oxeye Daisy
Among this list of elk habitat destroyers, oxeye daisies may be the gentlest in their style of
attack, basically prettying places to death. Between June and August, oxeye daisy blooms with
15 to 30 small white flowers on stems a foot or two tall. Yet each bud can hold 200 seeds that
stay viable for decades. Some claim this European ornamental also has the mysterious ability
to ward off lightning. If that were only true, it might be handy, since this flower readily grows at elevations up to 11,000 feet. The problem for wildlife, though, comes in the dense fields of flowers
that oxeye daisies readily create—displacing native plants in meadows and along road and trail corridors. From an elk’s perspective, that creates a nutritional desert. Yet due to their visual appeal, oxeyes draw less aggressive treatment and are still peddled at many gardening stores. Reach instead for the similar Shasta daisy, which stands almost a foot taller and has larger flowers. While it hails from Spain and Portugal, it’s far less invasive.
attack, basically prettying places to death. Between June and August, oxeye daisy blooms with
15 to 30 small white flowers on stems a foot or two tall. Yet each bud can hold 200 seeds that
stay viable for decades. Some claim this European ornamental also has the mysterious ability
to ward off lightning. If that were only true, it might be handy, since this flower readily grows at elevations up to 11,000 feet. The problem for wildlife, though, comes in the dense fields of flowers
that oxeye daisies readily create—displacing native plants in meadows and along road and trail corridors. From an elk’s perspective, that creates a nutritional desert. Yet due to their visual appeal, oxeyes draw less aggressive treatment and are still peddled at many gardening stores. Reach instead for the similar Shasta daisy, which stands almost a foot taller and has larger flowers. While it hails from Spain and Portugal, it’s far less invasive.
Number of states reporting infestations: 50
Most effective treatment: Herbicides, biocontrol or hand pulling
Most effective treatment: Herbicides, biocontrol or hand pulling
Looking Forward
Tom Toman says one of the blessings of weeds is they have inspired scores of collaborative efforts that have brought diverse groups together at the conservation table.
“More people seem conscientious about weeds and are out looking for them today. It’s important to stay on top of this and use the latest science—like the new bacterium for cheatgrass. Herbicides are crucial in the ght, but we want to do everything we can to avoid destroying what we’re trying to save. We want to keep the biodiversity,” he says. “When it comes to weeds,
Tom Toman says one of the blessings of weeds is they have inspired scores of collaborative efforts that have brought diverse groups together at the conservation table.
“More people seem conscientious about weeds and are out looking for them today. It’s important to stay on top of this and use the latest science—like the new bacterium for cheatgrass. Herbicides are crucial in the ght, but we want to do everything we can to avoid destroying what we’re trying to save. We want to keep the biodiversity,” he says. “When it comes to weeds,
everybody wants immediate grati cation or a magic bullet. There isn’t one.”
Toman says people often ask him how long this weed war is going to take to win. His reply is simple.
“Forever. The ght is never over, but that doesn’t make it any less essential.”
Benjamin Alva Polley is a recent Bugle intern and graduate in Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism at the University of Montana. He has been published in a variety of popular magazines and is an associate editor of the White sh Review.
Toman says people often ask him how long this weed war is going to take to win. His reply is simple.
“Forever. The ght is never over, but that doesn’t make it any less essential.”
Benjamin Alva Polley is a recent Bugle intern and graduate in Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism at the University of Montana. He has been published in a variety of popular magazines and is an associate editor of the White sh Review.
108 • BUGLE • JUL/AUG 2017
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