Invasive Weed Management
Plants are designated as weeds due to their invasive growth habit, lack of palatability to livestock and their ability to out compete agricultural crops. Many of the weeds that are of concern today started out in people's flower beds, escaped as ornamentals and due to their invasive nature and lack of native pests they became a problem.
The Weed Control Act was enacted in 1907 to prevent the spread of invasive plants. The Alberta Weed Control Act was updated in 2010 to help prevent invasive ornamentals and weedy plants from establishing within the province. In the new act "Restricted" weeds have been renamed as "Prohibited Noxious". The old restricted weed list only contained seven weed species, but on the new Alberta Weed Control Regulation there are 46 weeds listed as Prohibited Noxious.
Prohibited Noxious weeds are generally not found in high numbers in Alberta, they are invasive and pose an economical threat and must be eradicated. Noxious weeds are not necessarily widespread but may be more abundant in some municipalities than others. Their spread needs to be controlled.
An Alberta Invasive Plant Identification Guide has been put together by Wheatland County and contains pictures and information on the weeds that appear in the Act.
Weeds of Concern in the M.D. of Pincher Creek
While all weeds within the Weed Control Regulation should be controlled, some weeds are more common within our municipality. The following is a list of prohibited noxious and noxious weeds to be on the lookout for. If found, these weeds should be eradicated or controlled. Please contact the Agricultural and Environmental Services Department if you require assistance with weed identification or control.
Please click on the name of each weed to learn more about them. Information is provided by the Alberta Invasive Species Council:
Noxious Weeds:
Baby’s-Breath, common – Gypsophila paniculata L.
Blueweed – Echium vulgare L.
Brome, downy – Bromus tectorum L.
Burdock, great – Arctium lappa L.
Buttercup, tall – Ranunculus acris L.
Chamomile, scentless – Tripleurospermum inodorum (L.)Shc. Bip.
Daisy, oxeye – Leucanthemum vulgare Lam.
Dame’s Rocket – Hesperis matonalis L.
Henbane, black – Hyoscymus niger L.
Hoary Cress – Lepidium appelianum Al-Shehbaz
Hound’s-tongue – Cynoglossum officinale L.
Mullein, common – Verbascum Thapsus L.
Scabious, field – Knautia arvensis(L.) Coult.
Sow Thistle, perennial – Sonchus arevensis L.
Spurge, Leafy – Euphorbia esula L.
Tansy, common – Tanacetum vulgare L.
Thistle, Canada – Cirsium arvense (l.) Scop.
Toadflax, dalmation – Linaria dalmatica (L.) Mill.
Toadflax, yellow – Linaria vulgaris Mill.
Prohibited Noxious Weeds:
Hawkweed, meadow – Pilosella caespitosa Dumort.
Hawkweed, mouse-ear – Pilosella officinarum L.
Hawkweed, orange – Pilosella aurantiaca L.
Knapweed, diffuse – Centaurea diffusa Lam.
Knapweed, Russian – Rhaponticum repens (L.) Hidalgo
Knapweed, Spotted – Centaurea stroebe L. ssp.micranthos (Gugler) Hayek
Thistle, Nodding – Carduus nutans L.
Other weeds to be on the lookout for:
Caraway – Carum carvi
MD of Pincher Creek
Premix Sales
Available to Order until September 15
To Order and Pay, Call: 403-627-3130
Monday to Friday
Ask for Premix
PICKUP AVAILABLE THURSDAY’S AT AIRPORT ONLY
6:30 am – 5:00 pm
Available to MD of Pincher Creek Residents ONLY.
Limit of 10 jugs (10L) per order.
If anything else is needed, please call
403-339-8741 and ask for Shane.
