Noxious Weed Abatement in Kirkwood
The most prevalent non-native, invasive weed in Kirkwood the summer of 2017, and for the last several years now, appears to be the Yellow Sweet Clover. Found most abundantly along roadways and parking lots, Yellow Sweet Clover invades native grasslands by overtopping and shading the wildflowers, such as our Indian Paint Brush, Columbine, Lily, Gooseberry, Primrose and many other varieties. In addition, Yellow Sweet Clover has an extensive root system to draw moisture from native plants, particularly during drought years. Earlier this summer, District staff chose to attack several public areas where it has been spreading unabated, by cutting them before the flowers emerged or hand pulling small infestations when the soil was moist. Pulling these hearty plants up by their roots is laborious and should only be done in the spring and early summer, not when they’re in full flower or seeding in the fall. El Dorado County’s Invasive Weed Management group has conducted several surveys for other invasive species in Kirkwood and have identified Anderson Thistle as a native plant, and is not the similar-looking Canada Thistle, an invasive plant. El Dorado County recommends to document where the Yellow Sweet Clover is flourishing this year, and then spray next spring with a chemical not harmful to native grasses and trees. More on this to follow. We will continue to keep our customers updated on any measures taken to control the spread of non-native invasive weeds in Kirkwood.
Yellow Sweet Clover, non-native, invasive
Anderson Thistle, a native, non invasive plant