Backyard Habitat

Welcome

Regional Resources

Providing for the Needs of Wildlife

• Food from Plants
• Food from Bird Feeders
• Water
• Shelter and Places to Raise Young

Sustainable Gardening

• Remove Invasive Plants
• Reduce Lawn and Increase Habitat Quality
• Build Healthy Soil and Reduce Chemical Use
• Be Smart with Water

Pets and Your Backyard Habitat

Observing and Living with Wildlife

Backyard Habitat

Remove Invasive Plants

Invasive plants are non-native, aggressive plants that take over and alter native ecosystems. English ivy, a widespread invasive plant that is choking native forests in the Pacific Northwest, originally escaped from yards. Many harmful invasive trees and shrubs are still used for landscaping, including butterfly bush, English holly, and Japanese knotweed. Himalayan blackberry and Scotch broom also plague yards and natural areas.

Why Remove Invasive Plants?

• Bad for natural ecosystems: Invasive plants can displace native wildlife, threaten water quality, and modify stream flows.
  
  
• Bad for pets and kids: Many invasive plants, such as poison-hemlock, are toxic and can be fatal if eaten. Others, such as giant hogweed, cause burns and scarring if touched.
  
  
• Some non-natives are fine: You don’t have to get rid of your favorite exotic plants! As long as they’re not invasive and don’t spread easily, non-native plants can be a beautiful, wildlife-friendly addition to your backyard habitat. Just be sure to do your research. Choose plants that won’t become a nuisance for others (spread easily through roots or seeds), don’t require lots of water, herbicide, or fertilizer, and support wildlife by providing shelter or food (flowers, seeds, nuts, etc.).
  
  

Invasives 101

• Identify your invasive plants: Most states and provinces have established weed control laws, which are enforced by county weed control boards. These weed control boards have excellent information on identifying and eradicating weeds, including the following sites:

  Field Guide to Noxious and Other Selected Weeds of
  British Columbia
  
  Washington State Noxious Weed List
  
  King County Noxious Weed Control Program
  
  Oregon State Noxious Weed List
  
  Idaho Noxious Weed List
  
  

• Many options for eradication: Most of the above websites have information on controlling each specific weed. However, below are some general tips for eradication, as identified by the King County Noxious Weed Control Program:
  
  

• Remove weeds before they go to seed. A single flower can produce thousands of seeds.
• Dig up entire plants including roots when the soil is moist to avoid leaving root fragments.
• Weeds thrive in bare soil and neglected garden areas. Replace any diseased or dying plants quickly to prevent weed invasions.
• Smother weeds with weed barriers or lots of mulch. Mulching also preserves moisture in the soil for more desirable plants.
• Mow regularly. This will weaken root reserves and prevent most seed production, but will not eliminate most noxious weeds.
• If you must use chemical control, use the least toxic herbicide available for the weed site and carefully apply it as directed on the label. Read the label thoroughly to make sure it will work on the types of weeds you are controlling.
• Don’t use “weed and feed” or persistent pre-emergent products, which can run off into streams and lower water quality.
• Fix landscape and soil problems to reduce the need for regular herbicide use.
  
  

Next up: Reduce Lawn and Increase Habitat Quality