Three Invasive Species You May Not Think About WNPS South Sound, February 2018

Daphne laureola (Spurge Laurel)

Characteristics This plant is neither a spurge or a laurel Evergreen plant, native to Europe, Algeria, Morocco and the Azores Leaves form the distinctive whorl Grows in both sun and shade, well suited to our temperate rain forests Can be very aggressive spreading both by seeds and root suckering

What to Know Berries are Poisonous to humans, but not birds who do a nice job of ingesting, fertilizing and depositing seeds Yellow-green flowers and Black berries in spring When pulling the small plants, always wear gloves to protect from the caustic sap Introduced in the San Juan Inlands from Canada. (Picture taken in Sooke, BC) In Washington, it is a class B noxious weed.

Arum Italicum (Italian Lords-and-Ladies)

Where is it From? Plant is native to the Mediterranean region (southern Europe, northern Africa, and the Middle East) plus Great Britain, the Netherlands, the Crimea, Caucasus, canary Islands, Maderia and the Azores. It has become naturalized in Argentina and in scattered locations in the United States. In Washington it has become a serious problem in forests, disturbed urban area and near rivers and streams

How did it get here? Introduced as an ornamental in the horticultural trade. Very attractive plant for gardeners. It shades out or displaces native plants. Cultivars are still being sold

What to Know. All parts of the plant are toxic Ingestion of parts of the plant may require medical treatment (especially for children) Contact with parts of the plant may cause severe skin irritation in some individuals.

Why it is so hard to control It does not respond to chemical control. Mechanical control can spread the plants because it creates small “daughter tubers” that can spread the plant. Birds spread the seeds, plants spread by creating the “daughter tubers” Yard waste with seeds or tubers also spreads the plant. Class C noxious weed because there is no good control strategy

Yellow Archangel (Lamiastrum galeobdolom)

Where is it form? Plant is in the mint family Yellow archangel is another European import introduced in the horticultural trade. In Europe it is a widespread wildflower. Used widely as a ground cover and in ornamental baskets because of the attractive leaves

Why is it a problem? Lamium, is very competitive and fast-growing in the forest habitats of western Washington and western British Columbia. When it is dumped with yard waste or escapes from intentional plantings, it spreads quickly into forested areas and out-competes native understory plants. Yellow archangel is also on the state quarantine list and can not be sold in the state of Washington

Why is it hard to control? Yellow archangel outcompetes native plant species and provides poor food and shelter for native wildlife. It is found in ravines, greenbelts and forested parks as well as residential settings such as flower gardens, rockeries and ornamental boarders. Yellow archangel can grow in a wide range of conditions from full sun to full shade and is not deterred by most other plants. Many of the infestations are in very difficult to treat locations. Mechanical control is difficult because the plant has very fine roots that break and spread the plant.

Caution Do not put the plant in your compost pile or discard what looks like a dead or dying plant The plant is like a vampire. Bag and dispose of all plant parts