Noxious weed look alikes – don’t pull the wrong plant!

by Irene Shonle It is heartening to see so many people being committed stewards of their land who are working to eradicate the noxious weeds on their property.  Thank you to everyone who is participating!  A word of caution -  it is possible to be a little too enthusiastic. This happens when someone pulls or treats the wrong plant – a plant that has the misfortune of looking like a noxious weed. These look-alike plants are often native, and can provide good habitat for pollinators, or at the very least, will occupy space that otherwise could be invaded by a noxious weed, so it’s best to learn how to distinguish which is which. Some of the most common mistaken identities up here are: Golden banner/yellow toadflax, Pineapple weed/scentless chamomile, Cutleaf daisy/oxeye daisy  Fireweed/purple loosestrife. Golden banner is a native plant – it blooms in the spring, and has solid yellow flowers, and three-lobed (trifoliate) leaves. Yellow toadflax blooms in the second half of summer with tw