Posts Tagged: scotch broom
Invasive Plants.
By Susanne von Rosenberg, UC Master Gardener of Napa County One thing that Master...
Don't plant a pest! (cal-ipc.org)
Pampas grass--invasive plant in California. (westcoastseeds.com)
Scotch broom--invasive plant in California. (gardeningknowhow.com)
Cal-IPC. https://www.cal-ipc.org/ (wra-ca-com)
Calflora--check website for information on wild California plants. https://www.calflora.org/ (csumb.edu)
Don't let your garden be invaded by planting invasives. (selfsufficientculture.com)
Don't plant a tree pest, either. (cal-ipc.org)
Invasive Plants: Don't Encourage 'Bad Neighbors'
What do ice cream, potato chips, Scotch and Spanish Broom, and Tree of Heaven have in common? While they're all tempting to indulge in, less is more. In fact, plants such as Scotch, Spanish Broom, Tree of Heaven, Pampas Grass, Green Fountain Grass, and dozens of plants are all considered invasive plants in California. Simply put, they should not be planted. There are some great alternative plants that are better choices listed at the end of this blog.
Truth be told, I admit to falling madly in love with the Spanish Broom (Spartium junceum) shrubs adorning Highway 18 on my drive from San Bernardino to Lake Arrowhead in early spring 1984 right after my job interview for my current position. Being a “wet behind the ears” recently hatched graduate student from the Midwest I was truly in awe of their lovely yellow blooms and vowed to plant one if I got the chance to move to California. Fortunately, I found out very soon that, while the plantings were made on purpose, they were a mistake and needed to be removed due to their invasive nature.
While they were ‘recruited' from Europe and had what seemed like a perfect resumé (fast growth, lovely yellow flowers, adaptability to poor infertile soil and disease and insect-resistance), they didn't play well with others, a fatal flaw. In California, they were aggressive and crowded out native plantings. Fires only exacerbated the situation. After the 2003 burns, the Spanish Broom populations exploded, obliterating any remaining natives and taking an even larger area hostage. In summer 2010, the San Bernardino National Forest removed the plants in a costly but necessary $500,000 project under a partnership with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Constant monitoring continues in the San Bernardino Mountains and other areas of the state to prevent its reestablishment which is challenging due to its ability to quickly resprout, seed longevity, and effective dispersal. It has definitely earned its ‘noxious weed' label!
This is just one example of the problems posed by invasive plants. In effect, they grow too well! They outcompete desirable plants in our gardens, lawns, and other urban and natural areas for water, nutrients, and space. They also shade sun-requiring plants. Threatened and endangered plant species and other California native plants are particularly vulnerable to their encroachment. (In most cases, invasive plants are non-native species.) Interestingly, our beloved state flower, the California poppy, is an invasive plant in New Zealand, Hawaii and other locations outside of California.
As urban gardeners, we can all greatly reduce the impact of the encroachment of invasive plants in our urban environments. Please don't plant invasive sane remove plantings on your property to stop their spread. Below are some great resources to learn more about invasive plants and find viable replacements:
California Invasive Plant Council: https://www.cal-ipc.org/
Don't Plant a Pest: https://www.cal-ipc.org/solutions/prevention/landscaping/dpp/
Invasive Plants of Southern California:https://www.cal-ipc.org/solutions/prevention/landscaping/dpp/?region=socal
PlantRight: https://plantright.org/about-invasive-plants/plant
Keep An Eye Out for Invasives.
by Penny Pawl, U.C. Master Gardener of Napa County Oh no, I've done it again. I have fallen in...
Pampas grass (Direct Gardening)
Mullein (California Invasive Plant Council)
Butterfly bush (Monrovia)
Watsonia (PlantZAfrica-SANBI)
Privet (Jack Kelly Clark, UC IPM)
Bamboo (Jack Kelly Clark, UC IPM)
Scotch broom (UC ANR)
Pride of Madeira (California IPC)
Honeysuckle (Cheryl A. Reynolds, UC IPM)
https://www.cal-ipc.org/plants/profiles/
Scotch Broom Gall Mite: A New Partner in Broom Management for California
[From the July 2015 issue of the UC IPM Retail Nursery and Garden Center IPM News] A recent find...
New book helps pros manage invasive weeds in California forests
Now growing profusely in California forests, on roadsides, and wildlands, brooms:
- Crowd out out desirable vegetation
- Form impenetrable thickets that limit access to some areas
- Shade out tree seedlings, and make reforestation difficult
- Burn readily, increasing the intensity of fire, and carry fire to the tree canopy
- Are toxic to cattle and horses and unpalatable to most wildlife
- Produce abundant, long-lived seed
- Are able to fix atmospheric nitrogen, giving broom a competitive advantage over native plants
Management of these and other weeds are presented in the recently published second edition of Forest and Right-of-Way Pest Control. Invasive species that create a dangerous wildfire hazard and crowd out desirable vegetation and wildlife are examples of why this book emphasizes vegetation management and pesticide handling, including correct equipment calibration and effective herbicide application. The second edition also provides broader coverage of insects, plant pathogens, vertebrate pests, and the various practices to manage them, recognizing that lands commonly have multiple uses and when and how pests are managed depends on many considerations with sometimes conflicting goals.
Experts with Cal-Fire, Caltrans, PG&E, USDA Forest Service, private industry, the University of California (UC) Berkeley and Davis campuses, UC County Cooperative Extension offices, and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) contributed to Forest and Right-of-Way Pest Control, prepared by UC ANR's Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program.
Forest and Right-of-Way Pest Control is available for $35 online in the UC ANR Catalog. The table of contents and more information about the book are available on the UC IPM website. You can also preview and electronically search the contents on Google Books.