Noxious Weeds That Harm Washington State

depend on. They also cost farmers millions ofdollars in control efforts and lost production– and that can make the food we buy moreexpensive.The term “noxious weed” includes non-nativeinvasive plants, shrubs, and trees that growboth on land and in wetlands, lakes, shorelinesand streams.How do noxious weeds spread?About half of thenoxious weeds inWashington are“escapees” fromgardens, and thatexplains why somany of them arequite beautiful.Others came toWashington as“stowaways” onships, as seedsaccidentallyincluded in packing material, or on the wheelsor shoes of travelers. The more people travel– and the more globally connected our worldbecomes – the more we spread seeds and plantfragments from place to place.Sue Winterowd, Stevens County NWCBW-2