Invasive plants are spreading aggressively across British Columbia
"Often mistaken for wildflowers, invasive plants are spreading through our natural ecosystems, urban landscapes, and agricultural lands at an alarming rate. Invasive plants are spread through several key pathways of invasion including increased international, national, and regional travel and trade; horticulture, gardening, and ornamentals; transportation and utility corridors; seed mixtures (re-revegetation, birdseed, wildflower); recreation; and wildlife, livestock, humans, and pets." From the
Invasive Plant Council of BC web site.
"Did you know that invasive species are considered to be one of the greatest threats to biodiversity world-wide, second only to habitat loss? Or that in Coastal BC existing invasive non-native (alien) plant infestations are estimated to be in the tens of thousands?"
From the Coastal Invasive Plant Committee web site.
GaLTT was fortunate to have Pamela Wesley, M.Sc., Extension and Outreach Coordinator, Coastal Invasive Plant Committee to address the 2009 Annual General Meeting on the topic of "Managing Invasive Plants on Gabriola Island."
The slides she presented including photos of the plants and suggested means of control are in the attached pdf files: Part I and Part II (The files are about 4GB each.)
Many of the images have copyrights associated with them so should not be copied or duplicated without permission.
The following list of invasive plants on Gabriola was prepared by Pamela Wesley, M.Sc., Extension and Outreach Coordinator, Coastal Invasive Plant Committee, Phone: 250.857.2472, Click to email the Coastal Invasive Plant Committee Click to link to the Coastal Invasive Plant Committee web site
Invasive Plants Reported to be on Gabriola Island |
| Invasive Species | # of Sites | Comments |
| BP – Broad-leaved Plantain | 5 | Drumbeg P.P., Sandwell P.P. |
| BT – Bull Thistle | > 50 | |
| CD – Curled Dock | 2 | Drumbeg P.P., Gabriola Sands P.P. |
| CT – Canada Thistle* | >100 | |
| FB – Field Bindweed | 1 | (a.k.a. Morning Glory) Sandwell P.P. |
| GH – Giant Hogweed* | ~ 5 | Orlebar Pt., South Rd., Martin Sir William, in and NE of Drumbeg P.P. |
| GS – Gorse* | 1 | Sandwell P.P. |
| HE – Henbit | 1 | Bertha at Suzanne (?) |
| HI – Himalayan Blackberry | > 125 | |
| JK – Japanese Knotweed* | 2 | Gabriola Sands P.P., Cooper at South Rd.(?) by Degnen Bay |
| OD – Oxeye Daisy | > 10 | |
| PI – Pineapple weed | 2 | Drumbeg P.P., Gabriola Sands P.P. |
| SB – Scotch Broom* | > 150 | Some major infestations. |
| SH – Scentless Chamomile | 2 | Horseshoe Rd., Bell’s Landing |
| SO – Sowthistle | ~ 5 | Gabriola Sands & Sandwell P.P., Degnen Bay, Stalker Rd., Whalebone Dr.(?) |
| TC – Common Tansy* | ~ 10 | |
| TR – Tansy Ragwort* | ~ 10 | Some major infestations. |
| YI – Yellow Flag Iris* | 10 | Descanso Bay & Valley, South Rd., Fenwick (?), Windecker |
| * = CIPC Priority Species |
|
