From fast-spreading English ivy to the large giant hogweed that produces harmful, burning sap, here are 15 of the most invasive plant species found in Oregon.

The number one threat to Oregon’s ecosystems is invasive plant species, many of which can also wreak havoc on your home. If you’re a property owner in Oregon, it’s important to be aware of what plants are growing around your house. While some weeds may cause damage to your property and reduce its value, others can be dangerous to your family and pets.

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needs.

The top 10 invasive plant species in Oregon

1. English ivy

Scientific name: Hedera helix

What it looks like: Creeping, climbing evergreen vine producing greenish-yellow plants in autumn and purple-black to orange-yellow berries in the winter

Why it’s a problem: H. helix spreads incredibly quickly. It climbs up walls and trees, pulling them downward, so it can do damage to your walls and other structures. It also overpowers other plants around it, taking over your garden.

What to do: Wear durable gloves and clothing that prevents the ivy from touching your skin, and remove vines from the bases of structures. Use your hands or a trowel to pull ivy roots up—never pull down, as the vines may have clung on to a bird’s nest or beehive.

2. Himalayan blackberry

Scientific name: Rubus armeniacus

What it looks like: Tall thistle bushes that produce white/pink flowers in spring and summer and edible dark purple fruits in summer and fall.

Why it’s a problem: R. armeniacus spreads quickly and can become ladder fuel for wildfires, since its canes are highly flammable. They can also injure trees and cause damage to the exterior walls of your home.

What to do: Mowing, tilling, and cutting are good ways to keep blackberry bushes under control. Herbicides can also be used, but be sure not to harm native plant species around the bushes. And there’s no harm in picking and eating the fruit (as long as they haven’t been sprayed)!

3. Giant hogweed

Scientific name: Heracleum mantegazzianum

What it looks like: 10-15-foot reddish-purple stalks with huge 3-5-foot bright green leaves. Member of the carrot family

Why it’s a problem: Giant hogweed is a health hazard to humans and other animals. Contact with its clear, watery sap causes skin to become ultra-sensitized to ultraviolet light, resulting in painful burns, blisters, and/or dermatitis. Hogweed will also take over ecosystems and gardens, killing other plants and harming local wildlife.

What to do: It’s important to avoid skin contact with H. mantegazzianum. Wear heavy, water-proof gloves and clothing, as well as eye protection when removing giant hogweed. First, remove lower branches for easy access to the main stem, then remove all flower heads to prevent seeds from growing and spreading. Using a sharp shovel, dig at least half a foot under the soil, cutting the roots and pulling the plant up. Dispose using a double garbage bag in your garbage can—not your compost.

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4. Butterfly bush

Scientific name: Buddleja davidii

What it looks like: Arching lilac shrub that can grow to 16 feet tall, covered in clusters of small, purple, honey-scented flowers

Why it’s a problem: A single bush can produce more than 100,000 seeds, and they spread by being carried by the wind. It replaces indigenous plants by taking over their habitats, destroying food and shelter sources for local wildlife.

What to do: Pull bushes out by the roots and replant with native ground cover. Dispose of the bushes by burning them or putting them in the garbage.

4. English holly

Scientific name: Ilex aquifolium

What it looks like: You should recognize holly from the holidays—we hear some folks like to deck their halls with whole boughs of the stuff! It grows as a tree or shrub with spiny or smooth leaves and red, pink, blue, orange, yellow, or white berries

Why it’s a problem: The leaves and berries can be poisonous to your kids and pets, and the trees and shrubs will choke out other plants around them, sucking up all the water in the area.

What to do: You can still use holly as a decoration, but make sure to dispose of them correctly without risking introducing them to your local ecosystem. That means making sure the berries end up in the trash. If they’re smaller, you can simply pull or dig them up, but larger holly plants might require mechanical or chemical control.

5. Herb-Robert

Scientific name: Geranium robertianum

What it looks like: Low growing shrub with light green leaves that turn red as the plant matures. Easily recognizable by its gassy/minty odor when leaves are disturbed

Why it’s a problem: Herb-Robert took over many ecosystems that were cleared of English Ivy. It can spread just as fast and aggressively pushes out native plants from their ecosystems. It also makes landscape maintenance more difficult and expensive.

What to do: Robert geraniums can be harvested for medicinal uses, but their spread should be controlled in gardens and yards to prevent damage to other plants. You can easily pull them out by hand or mow them before they have a chance to flower and produce seeds.

6. Knotweed

Scientific name: Reynoutria spp.

What it looks like: 6-12-foot stems resembling bamboo with large leaves and white, fuzzy flowers.

Why it’s a problem: Taking over spaces along Oregon’s rivers and streams, knotweeds can push out indigenous trees that help keep local water sources clean and safe. It can also quickly infest your garden and yard, often damaging garden beds and fences.

What to do: Cutting knotweed down or digging it up might be enough to get rid of it in your garden, but you may also need to use herbicide multiple times before you’re able to kill established communities of it.

7. Tree of heaven

Scientific name: Ailanthus altissima

What it looks like: Medium-sized trees or thickets between 25 and 50 ft tall with smooth, light gray bark, long, paired leaves that turn from bronze to dark green, and small yellow-green flowers.

Why it’s a problem: Roots destroy structures like sidewalks, while also outpacing the growth of native trees, wreaking havoc on ecosystems. A. altissima is also very difficult to control—it’s resistant to many herbicides. It also harbors invasive spotted lanternflies.

What to do: Herbicides can be sprayed on leaves, bark, or into strategically placed angled cuts. It can only be cut down after it has been successfully treated with herbicide and left for at least a month’s time.

8. Garlic mustard

Scientific name: Alliaria petiolata

What it looks like: 1-3 feet in height with hairy stems, triangular toothed leaves, and white flowers

Why it’s a problem: While garlic mustard was cultivated in Oregon because of its desirable taste as an herb, it has displaced many understory forest species. It is incredibly persistent and difficult to control once it has established itself in an area.

What to do: Pulling garlic mustard plants before they flower—prior to May—is the best way to keep them under control. Make sure to put them in the garbage, they can still produce seeds and spread even after you’ve uprooted them.

9. Old man’s beard

Scientific name: Clematis vitalba

What it looks like: Long, deciduous vines that can grow up to 30 yards with coarsely-toothed leaves, fuzzy seed heads, and small white-green flowers

Why it’s a problem: Old man’s beard grows along native trees and shrubs, causing them to collapse and die, which destroys food and shelter sources for local wildlife. It can also damage buildings

What to do: Cut the vines at waist height, killing the upper portion, and dig them up by the roots. You can replant the places where you dig them up with native honeysuckles or clematises.

10. Common gorse

Scientific name: Ulex europaeus

What it looks like: Evergreen shrub that grows from 3 to 10 feet or taller with bright yellow flower clusters and green thorns

Why it’s a problem: This is one of the hardest weeds to control. It crowds out indigenous plants, takes over fields and pastures, and is a serious fire hazard due to the highly flammable oils produced by its spines. It also affects fish populations when allowed to grow along rivers and streams.

What to do: Unfortunately, you need to get a professional to remove gorse plants, and doing so can be extremely expensive.

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The five most invasive plant species in Oregon

1. Eurasian watermilfoil

Scientific name: Myriophyllum spicatum

What it looks like: Feathery leaves attached to flexible stems, easily mistaken for native milfoils.

Why it’s a problem: Reduces water quality, impedes boat access, is harmful to fish populations, and grows in place of native plants where water quality has been affected by pollution.

What to do: Invasive watermilfoil must be thoroughly raked or cut from ponds or treated with appropriate herbicides.

2. Water hyacinth

Scientific name: Pontederia crassipes

What it looks like: Free-floating plants with thick, shiny leaves, six-petaled purple-pink flowers, and purple-plack roots

Why it’s a problem: It’s one of the fastest growing known plants. It quickly outcompetes native plants, depletes a water source’s dissolved oxygen, and harms fish populations. It also contributes to breeding of mosquitoes and snails that can carry harmful diseases to local human populations.

What to do: Water hyacinths can be removed and composted. They can also be sprayed with herbicide. Introducing Neochetina beetles to the area can also help control them, since hyacinths are their primary food source.

3. Hydrilla

Scientific name: Hydrilla verticillata

What it looks like: 1-2-yard slim stems with small whorled leaves and transparent flowers with red streaks

Why it’s a problem: Hydrilla is a federally listed noxious weed that aggressively displaces native species. It can host dangerous cyanobacteria that is deadly to waterfowl and carnivorous birds, and it can develop resistance to fluridone herbicides.

What to do: Herbicides can be used to deal with hydrillas, while some insects such as weevils can also be introduced to hydrilla-infested areas to control them.

4. Mosquitofern

Scientific name: Azolla pinnata

What it looks like: Small water fern with a short, triangular stem, tiny, fuzzy blue-green or dark red leaves that grows in thick layers on the surface of the water

Why it’s a problem: A. pinnata also loves to provide a place for neuro-toxin producing cyanobacteria to fester. It will also crowd out native species that live on or beneath the surface of the water.

What to do: Mosquitofern can be treated by using weevils the same way as with hydrillas.

5. Brazilian Elodea

Scientific name: Egeria densa

What it looks like: Looks similar to hydrilla with a smooth midrib on the bottom of the leaves and small, white, three-petaled flowers

Why it’s a problem: Interferes with native freshwater species, including fish, and interferes with boating, fishing, and swimming activities.

What to do: Can be removed by raking or seining, but the job must be thorough or it will simply reroot. Fertilization for algal bloom can also prevent egeria from rooting while providing a food source for your pond fish.

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How to save on homeowners’ insurance in Oregon

Unfortunately, the removal of some invasive plants from your property—such as common grose or tree of heaven—can be extremely costly. But with the right homeowners insurance, you don’t have to eat all of those costs yourself!

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