City asks residents to help spot invasive weeds

The city is asking the public to help combat invasive weeds in Edmonton.

The campaign ‘Spot it. Report it. Remove it’ calls on Edmontonians to complement the city’s own weed monitoring and removal efforts.

“In most cases, invasive weeds are caught by the public, not our staff,” Qiting Chen, an invasive weed management specialist with the city, said Wednesday from Hawrelak Park.

Invasive weeds — plants introduced to the ecosystem with no natural predators — like garden mustard and Himalayan balsam can compete with native plants, harm waterways and reduce biodiversity, says the city. The weeds grow rapidly and some can create colonies from a single seed.

Japanese knotweed, a less-common species in Edmonton, also has a deep root system that can damage foundations and other underground infrastructure.

“If you have something that seems to come back every year and you have tried to remove it … and it seems to survive in any conditions, those will be things that might be invasive,” said Chen.

Under the Alberta Weed Control Act, there are 75 species that both public and private property owners have an obligation to control. The city has identified 35 provincially regulated species in Edmonton but that number is expected to rise as climate change makes the ecosystem habitable to new species and less viable for native organisms.

“Plants are under stress due to changing climate and then when a plant is under stress, it is more vulnerable to be invaded by invasive plants,” said Chen.

Invasive weed sightings and questions can be made through the 311 app or by visiting Edmonton. ca/weeds.

The city provides free weed-identification services, helping residents identify and properly remove invasive species.

A series of community weed-pulls in Edmonton parks will also be hosted by the city throughout the summer. The next one is set for 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 25, at Mill Creek Ravine.