Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) on Aug 2, 2008

Submitter has sample

Description of specimen

On highway 42 ( Coquille to Bandon ) Loostrife weeds on the north side mainly, all the way from milepost 16 to milepost 2. In the same area - Tansy Ragwart ( a whole field of it ) about milepost 13 or 14 on the south side of the road.
Another field with it on the south side of the road about milepost 3.
Loostrife can also bee found along the side of highway 101 on the slough side, between Highway 42 turnoff, and Coos Bay. There is also Loostrife along the side of the road. At the Greenacres turnoff on highway 42, 9 miles west of Coquille, and 9 miles from Coos Bay on highway 42 - upper loop road ( a loop of a few miles immediatel after the turnoff, is now showing Loostrife weeds along the side of the road.
Your species list somehow does not list these invasive and toxic weeds in the case of Tansy Ragwort which is toxic to livestock.

Commentary

No questions, but this much weed has never been seen in this area in the last 20 years, so it all happened in the last year!

Reporter
Aug. 2, 2008, 7:06 a.m.

Thank you for report of purple loosestrife and tansy ragwart. Both species have effective biological control agents and are not uncommon along the Oregon Coast. This year we are seeing a tansy population surge; however we expect the biocontrol agent to respond by increasing in abundance as well and effectively reduce tansy abundance.

For more information on purple loosestrife, its distribution and the biocontrols go to the ODA website: http://oregon.gov/ODA/PLANT/WEEDS/profile_purpleloosestrife.shtml

For information on tansy, see http://egov.oregon.gov/ODA/PLANT/WEEDS/profile_tansyragwort.shtml


Tania Siemens
OSU Sea Grant Extension/TNC
Tania.siemens@oregonstate.edu

Tania Siemens
Aug. 28, 2008, 11:25 p.m.