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Invasive plants are spreading aggressively across British ColumbiaThe Invasive Plant Council of BC web site states: "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." The Coastal Invasive Plant Committee web site asks: "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?" Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius)GaLTT member Rufus Churcher has compiled all you need to know about one of Gabriola's worst invasive species. Click here to read about the plant, how it spreads so rapidly, and how to eradicate it. Wherever you see Scotch broom on public land, do the whole island a favour and pull it out before it goes to seed. In May and June it's easy to see because of its beautiful yellow blooms. Please remove it from your own property too. Gabriola's first annual broom-bash
It's an ongoing job though; already tiny broom seedlings could be seen amongst the grass all over the parts of the park that at first glance looked clear of broom. But it was a pleasure to see the lovely spread of blue Camas lilies (Camassia quamash) and yellow Spring Gold (Lomatium utriculatum) blooming on the Drumbeg meadow where it is broom-free. Also, a few little garry oak (Quercus garryana) seedlings could already be found in the grass near where Scotch broom was pulled over the last couple of years. Daphne or spurge laurel (Daphne laureola)
To remove daphne, use gloves and try to pull it up from the roots. If you snip small plants, they will continue to grow and branch into a sturdy bush, but if a large plant has all its branches snipped off in late summer, the stress may be enough to kill it.
Seal the plants in dark plastic bags and leave them in the sun to "fry", then put the bag in the landfill or a large composting facility where its toxicity would be much diluted. BC Parks personnel have recently experimented with piling culled daphne on top of other invasive species such as periwinkle to kill them also. For more pictures and advice on managing invasive Daphne laureola click here. Tansy ragwort (Senecio jacobeae)
Help eradicate it by uprooting and removing the plants before they go to seed. Use protective gloves and make sure you pull out all the root system so that it doesn't regenerate. Bag the culled plants for removal. Do NOT leave the pulled plants on the ground where animals could eat them. They are toxic to cows, horses, and even goats. A great way to deal with culled tansy ragwort plants is to just stuff them into a black plastic garbage bag and seal it. Leave them to compost in the sealed bag for a few months (to make sure no seeds escape) and you'll get some good, pest-free soil for your garden.
Pamela Wesley's list of invasivesGaLTT was fortunate to have Pamela Wesley, MSc, Extension and Outreach Coordinator, Coastal Invasive Plant Committee (CIPC) to address the 2009 Annual General Meeting on the topic of "Managing Invasive Plants on Gabriola Island." You can click the button at left to link to CIPC's website, or phone them at 250-857-2472, or email them. The following list of invasive plants on Gabriola was prepared by Ms Wesley.
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Dozens of enthusiastic broom-bashers met up at Drumbeg Park on cool, rainy May 15, 2011 to continue the major task of pulling out invasive Scotch broom in and around the park. The party in this photograph worked with neighbouring landowners to remove broom from the trail that runs between Stalker Road and the beach opposite Breakwater Island. Another group worked at the entrance to Drumbeg at the beach end of Stalker. 
Daphne (spurge laurel) is spreading very rapidly through the understorey of Gabriola's forests. Because of its attractive "waxy" blue-green evergreen foliage, it is still sometimes sold as an ornamental shrub and has only recently become recognised as a serious pest. It bears its inconspicuous clusters of yellowish-white flowers very early in the spring, followed by black berries, which are spread by birds and rodents. All parts of the plants are somewhat toxic, but some people are more sensitive to the toxin than others.
Invasive tansy ragwort is sreading rapidly on Gabriola, Mudge and Valdes Islands, and blooms from July to September. The plant has clusters of bright yelllow daisy-like flowers, is about half a metre tall and has deeply lobed bright green leaves. A single ragwort plant can produce 150 thousand seeds!
Tansy ragwort does have one good natural enemy—the caterpillar of the cinnabar moth. So if you see any on the ragwort, don't kill them—leave them nearby to feed on any plants you miss.