Don’t try to remove this new noxious weed yourself, Whatcom officials warn
A noxious weed has been newly identified in Whatcom County, the third county in the state to see the weed pop up within its borders. Officials urge community members to call them if they spot the plant, rather than try to remove it themselves.
Goatsrue is a federally listed noxious weed that is toxic to humans and animals if ingested. It can displace native plants and destroy wildlife habitat. It’s also been identified in King and Pierce Counties.
Standing 4 feet to 6 feet tall with white or purple pea-like flowers, Goatsrue can closely resemble other plants such as vetch or wild licorice. That’s why Laurel Baldwin, coordinator of the Whatcom County Noxious Weed Program, wants people to notify her before trying to remove the weed themselves.
“I really don’t want people tearing into plants that aren’t Goatsrue,” Baldwin said. “It’s a waste of their time if it wasn’t.”
Baldwin can be reached at LBaldwin@co.whatcom.wa.us. If the photos you send are determined to indeed be Goatsrue, the county will send a team to remove it.
Baldwin has already received several emails from residents mistakenly identifying another plant as Goatsrue.
The weed can be removed with herbicide or by hand-pulling, although the latter can be difficult due to Goatsrue’s long taproot, Baldwin said. People should be careful with herbicides, she said — some cannot be used near water, others will kill only specific plants and some will kill everything they touch.
The Goatsrue in Whatcom County was identified in mid-July on 23 individual sites on a roadside, covering an estimated 10,000 square feet. The plant spreads quickly and stubbornly, with each plant producing up to 15,000 seedpods and seeds remaining viable in the soil for five-to-10 years.
Goatsrue is illegal to buy, sell or transport in Washington.
This story was originally published July 27, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
