Prohibited Noxious Weeds Found in the M.D. of Wainwright
Prohibited Noxious weeds pose a serious threat and must be eradicated. These weeds spread rapidly and are highly competitive. Weeds in this category are restricted to prevent establishment in Alberta.
Hoary Alyssum
Key Features: Greyish-green leaves with star shaped hairs; white, small, deeply notched petals on slender stalks, sepals hairy
Spotted Knapweed
Key Features: deeply lobed, "cobwebby" basal leaves; generally purple flowers; oval bracts with a black-tipped fringe
Nodding Thistle
Key Features: winged prickles along the stem, except below flower heads; large, nodding, purple flower heads; involucral bracts spine-tipped and bent backwards
Diffuse Knapweed
Key Features: Stems are upright, highly branched, and angled, with short, stiff hairs on the angles; Flowers solitary or in clusters of 2-3 at the end of the branches; Heads contain two types of flowers, ray flowers around the edges surrounding tubular disk flowers; Unlike other knapweeds the heads of the diffuse do not open to the shed seeds
Himalayan Balsam
Key Features: Bamboo-like stem, smooth, usually hollow and jointed; Red tinged stem and leaves; Sharply serrated leaves; Opposite or whorled leaves, usually 3; Exploding fruit capsules
Orange Hawkweed
Key Features: Rosette leaves are narrow, spatula shaped, hairy, 10-15cm long, and darker green on the upper surface.
Noxious Weeds Found in the M.D. of Wainwright
Noxious Weeds have the ability to spread rapidly, cause severe crop losses and economic hardship. These weeds must be controlled to prevent further establishment and spread.
Common Baby's-breath
Key Features: Opposite and lance shaped leaves; numerous branches; numerous small white flowers with 5 petals
Downy Brome
Key Features: Leaf blades are 2-4 mm wide, 5-12 cm long covered with soft hairs; often reddish-purple when mature, covered with soft hairs, long awns
Great & Lesser Burdock
Key Features: Large heart-shaped leaves, wooly nderneath; clusters of purple-pink flowers
Scentless Chamomile
Key Features: Finely-divided leaves; noticeable lack of odor; daisy-like heads at full maturity resemble a badminton shuttlecock
Yellow Clematis
Key Features: Leaf tips are pointed and edges are coarsely toothed; flowers are yellow with 4 petals, bell shaped
White Cockle
Key Features: opposite, softly hairy leaves; swollen nodes; large, white, showy flowers; capsule opening by ten teeth
Oxeye Daisy
Key Features: short, creeping roots; spoon-shaped, coarsely-toothed basal leaves; strong, unpleasant odor
Leafy Spurge
Key Features: white latex in all parts of the plant; deep and spreading roots with buds; greenish-yellow bracts underneath the flower groupings
Common Tansy
Key Features: Short rhizomes; fern-like, aromatic leaves; yellow, button-like heads in clusters
Canada Thistle
Key Features: Alternate, wavy, lance shaped, lobed, spine-tipped and lack stalks; purple fading to white flowers
Yellow Toadflax
Key Features: found in patches due to creeping roots; crowded, linear leaves that are narrower at each end; bright yellow and orange flowers that are "snapdragon-like"
TallButtercup
Key Features: Grows erect, 30-100cm; Lower and middle leaves are similar in appearance; Leaf bladed deeply lobed but not completely divided into 3-5 sections; Distinct leaf stalks, flattened and partly surrounding stem.
