Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) is a root-creeping perennial. Considered noxious under the BC Weed Control Act, this thistle is commonly found on roadsides, cultivated fields, pastures, logged forests, riverbanks, and other disturbed areas. It is a major concern in the Peace River, Omineca and Skeena areas, and is a widespread throughout the province. Canada thistle has purple or white flowers, with stalkless, spiny, dark-green leaves, growing to 0.3-2 metres in height at maturity. Canada thistle spreads rapidly through horizontal roots that give rise to large infestation patches nearby and out-competing native plants. Canada thistle develops seeds sparingly and may produce 1,000 to 1,500 seeds per flowering shoot. Best adapted to rich, heavy loam, clay loam, and sandy loam, it grows poorly in shaded conditions, can tolerate saline, wet, or dry soils, but does not tolerate waterlogged or poorly aerated

  (Tanacetum vulgare) Common tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) is a perennial and considered regionally noxious under the BC Weed Control Act. Common tansy is currently distributed in the following areas: Bulkley-Nechako, Central Kootenay, Columbia-Shuswap, East Kootenay, and North Okanagan Regional Districts, and within Greater Vancouver, Fraser Valley, southeast coast of Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands, Sunshine Coast, and Squamish/Pemberton.Common tansy has yellow disc flowers that resemble buttons in a flat-topped cluster at the top of the plant. With fern-like leaves, common tansy can grow 0.4–1.5 metres in height at maturity.Spread mainly through seeds and roots, common tansy can be transported by birds, animals, and on vehicles that have been in infested areas. Seeds can remain viable for up to 25 years; therefore, stopping seed spread is a main concern. Common tansy prefers sunny areas with well-drained soil, and often infests stream

  (Heracleum mantegazzianum) Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum), also known as “Giant Cow Parsnip,” is a perennial and currently distributed in the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Gulf Islands, and central to southern Vancouver Island.Giant hogweed has numerous small white flowers clusters in an umbrella-shaped head, with stout, hollow green stems covered in purple spots. Dark green leaves are coarsely toothed in 3 large segments with stiff underside hairs, and lower leaves can exceed 2.5 metres in length. Giant hogweed can grow up to 5 metres in height at maturity.Giant hogweed is a highly competitive plant due to vigorous early-season growth, tolerance of full shade and seasonal flooding, as well as its ability to co-exist with other aggressive invasive plant species. Each plant can produce up to 100,000 winged seeds (typically 50,000) that remain viable in the soil for up to

  (Ulex europaeus) Gorse (Ulex europaeus) is a spiny, perennial evergreen shrub, considered noxious under the BC Weed Control Act, and thrives on sunny clearings with dry, infertile soil such as sandy or rocky areas, roadsides, fields and pastures, bluffs, cutblocks, and cutbanks. It is currently distributed in Vancouver Island, West Vancouver, some of the Gulf Islands, and Skidegate on the Queen Charlotte Islands. Gorse is a dense evergreen shrub with a single upright stem, spine-like leaves, and fragrant yellow, pea-like flowers. Seedpods are hairy and black. Gorse can grow 1-3 metres in height at maturity.Growing rapidly for the first 15 years, gorse can live up to 45 years. Maturing seedpods explode and disperse up to 18,000 seeds per mature plant. Gorse seeds are easily distributed by ants, animals, birds, and machinery. Since gorse grows mainly by the ocean,

  (Hieracium spp.) Hawkweeds (Hieracium spp.) are perennial plants with 14 non-native species recorded in BC, and are difficult to identify among the 8 native hawkweed species. One of the 14 non-native species, orange hawkweed (Hieracium aurantiacum) is currently the only hawkweed considered regionally noxious under the Weed Control Act. Most hawkweeds have yellow flowers. Invasive hawkweeds are found throughout most forest regions and regional districts in British Columbia. The regional districts east of the Rocky Mountains, Northern Rockies, and Peace River Regional Districts only have a few known invasive hawkweed sites and efforts to prevent further establishment and spread are actively underway. Orange hawkweed is regionally noxious in the East Kootenay, Central Kootenay, Columbia-Shuswap, Thompson-Nicola, Bulkley Nechako, and Cariboo Regional Districts. Hawkweeds have bright orange, orange-red, or yellow ray flowers with several flower heads in clusters at the

Himalayan blackberry (Rubus discolor) is mostly a biennial plant, growing on disturbed sites, along roadsides and rights-of-ways, in pastures, along river and stream banks, fresh-water wetlands, riparian areas, forest edges, and wooded ravines. They are currently distributed on the Lower Mainland, Sunshine Coast, Fraser Valley, Gulf Islands, central to southern Vancouver Island, Queen Charlotte Islands, the Okanagan, and the West Kootenay areas. Himalayan blackberry has petite, white or faint pink flowers with 5 petals, arranged in clusters of 5-20. Flower stalks are prickly, with robust stems (canes) that support large, flattened and hooked or straight prickles. Canes grow up to 3 metres in height and 12 metres in length at maturity. Evergreen leaves are predominantly large, rounded or oblong, and generally grouped in fives on first-year canes and threes on second year, flowering canes. Fruits are up to 2 cm

  (Berteroa incana) Hoary alyssum (Berteroa incana) is an annual to short-lived perennial. Considered regionally noxious under the BC Weed Control Act, hoary alyssum is most common on sandy or gravelly soils and establishes on roadsides, railway embankments, and heavily grazed pastures. It is currently found in south-central and southeastern BC including the Okanagan, Cariboo, Boundary, Thompson, and Kootenay areas.Hoary alyssum has small white flowers with deeply notched petals that are supported on slender stalks. The whole plant is covered in star-shaped hairs that are rough to touch, with grey leaves that clasp closely to the stem. Oval seedpods are chambered and held close to the stem with each chamber containing 5-7 black seeds. Hoary alyssum can grow up to 0.7 metres in height at maturity.Hoary alyssum spreads rapidly through a long season of seed production. Each plant flowers

  (Cynoglossum officinale) Hound’s-tongue (Cynoglossum officinale) is a biennial to short-lived perennial, and is considered noxious under the BC Weed Control Act. Hound’s-tongue is found on dry pasture, roadsides, and logged forestland. Found primarily in the southern interior of BC, it is a major concern in the Kootenay, Okanagan, Thompson, and Cariboo areas.Mature hound’s tongue plants have a woody taproot, with rough, hairy, wide leaves and dull reddish-purple, five-petal flowers. Each flower produces four rounded-triangular seeds covered with hooked prickles. Growing 0.5-1.2 metres tall, stems leaves are short and stalkless. First year plants form a rosette with leaves hanging down to resemble the shape of a dog’s tongue.Each plant produces 2,000-4,000 barbed seeds a year that cling easily clothing, livestock and wildlife, resulting in new infestations spread over great distances. Hound’s-tongue decreases forage production on rangeland and pastures. Barbed

  (Polygonum spp.) Knotweeds (Polygonum spp.) are invasive perennials, with four species found in British Columbia: Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica); Bohemian knotweed (Fallopia x bohemica); Giant knotweed (Fallopia sachalenensis); and Himalayan knotweed (Polygonum polystachyum). Knotweeds thrive in roadside ditches, low-lying areas, irrigation canals, and other water drainage systems. They are also found in riparian areas, along stream banks, and in other areas with high soil moisture. Knotweeds occur in the southwest coastal region, the Shuswap, Kitimat, Stikine, Skeena, Columbia, Okanagan, and Kootenay areas, as well as the Queen Charlotte Islands. Additional plants may exist in many gardens in communities across BC.Knotweeds have small white-green flowers that grow in showy, plume-like, branched clusters along the stem and leaf joints. Hollow stems stand upright and are bamboo-like with reddish-brown speckles and thin, papery sheaths. Leaves are heart or triangular-shaped on all