Dear Miss Lisa Payne,

My sincere apologies for not responding sooner to your report. Thanks so much for this report! Himalayan blackberry is a big problem in Oregon. We appreciate your report because it helps us keep track of this expanding population. I will forward your report to the Soil and Water Conservation District in Douglas County, as they have an active weed program. They will assess the situation and determine the best response. Unfortunately due to very limited resources for weed control, land managers are unable to address every blackberry population, unless it is growing in a site that needs special protection from invasive species from some reason.

We do however have a list of new invasive species that are not already widely abundant and for which we would like to be notified of right away if found. If you are interested in helping look for these new invaders, please browse the list below. Of particular concern is yellow starthistle, pattersons curse, and wolly distaff thistle. All of these species are high priority if found in the Douglas County. If you ever see any of these species please do report them.

Thanks again and please do keep on reporting.

High priority invasive plant species in Douglas County (as of 2006)

Common name Scientific name Present in Douglas Co?
Biddy-biddy Acaena novae-zelandiae *
Buffaloburr Solanum rostratum
Diffuse knapweed Centaurea diffusa
Dyers woad Isatis tinctoria *
Gorse Ulex europaeus
Iberian starthistle Centaurea iberica *
Leafy spurge Euphorbia esula *
Musk thistle Carduus nutans *
Paterson’s Curse Echium plantagineum
Perennial pepperweed Lepidium latifolium *
Portugese or striated broom Cytisus striatus
Purple starthistle Centaurea calcitrapa *
Russian knapweed Centaurea repens *
Scotch thistle Onopordum acanthium
Spotted knapweed Centaurea maculosa
Squarrose knapweed Centaurea virgata *
Velvetleaf Abutilon theophrasti
Whitetop or Hoary Cress Cardaria draba
Woolly distaff thistle Carthamus lanatus
Yellow or common toadflax Linaria vulgaris


Tania Siemens
Invasive Species Early Detection and Rapid Response Coordinator
The Nature Conservancy
WISE Program Coordinator (Watershed and Invasive Species Education)
Oregon Sea Grant Extension
tania.siemens@oregonstate.edu
541-914-0701

Tania Siemens
Jan. 18, 2011, 8:06 a.m.