Q. Didn’t I read something about Rush Skeletonweed just recently?
A. Yes! Our good neighbor, Jim Day, raised the alarm in an email he sent out (via Barb Parrish) at the end of June. In case you missed it or forgot about it, we’re featuring the info here.
Q. What IS Rush Skeletonweed?
A. Rush Skeletonweed (RSW) is a perennial forb with many branched, wiry stems that range from 1-4 feet tall. They have few leaves when in bloom, and have coarse, red, downward-pointing hairs at the base of the flowering stem. In the spring, rosette leaves resemble common dandelion and are hairless with deep, irregular teeth that point back toward the leaf base. Leaves produce a milky white juice when torn. Rosettes wither by flowering time. Small, yellow flower heads appear in early summer.
Q. Got it—but “forb?”
A. Per Wikipedia, a forb (or phorb) is a herbaceous flowering plant that is not a graminoid (grass, sedge, or rush). You asked.
Q. Where does it grow?
A. All over the place! It is found in pastures, rangeland, along roadsides, railways, and in open and disturbed areas. On your property, on your neighbor’s property. It likes well-drained, sandy or gravelly soils and has invaded extensive areas of shallow silt loam soils.
Q. Why do we hate Rush Skeletonweed?
A. It’s a pernicious invader. Without control measures, RSW will produce a mono-culture of interconnected plants. A single plant can become an entire colony! Rangeland infestations shut out native and beneficial forage that would be grazed by livestock and wildlife.
Q. What is its invasion strategy?
A. RSW reproduces by seeds. Mature plants produce 1,500 to 20,000 seeds per plant! Seeds germinate in the fall and are viable for up to 4 years. The plant spreads by wind and will also grow from root fragments in the ground.
Q. Why did Jim Day say in his email to pull the large bushes that are on roadside ditches now?
A. Because mature plants produce 1,500 to 20,000 seeds per plant! Pull them now before they go to seed and all those seeds get spread far and wide. He also said, “They can be left to die on site with no risk of spreading this time of year*. Use gloves, as the white pitch is very sticky and could cause a skin reaction.” [*as long as they haven’t gone to seed yet, of course]
Q. There are places where the ground is so covered I’ll never be able to pull them all. What now?
A. Here’s what Jim had to say about that: “If it has already spread to an area too large to control by pulling please make a note of its location in common areas and contact:
https://klickitatcounty.gov/560/Noxious-Weed-Control-Board
Q. Where can I find out more about this nasty invader?
A. Jim very conveniently included a link to a brochure with comprehensive information on best management practices from the Columbia Gorge Cooperative Weed Management Area* organization.[*though not just for cooperative weeds, obviously…]