With its bright yellow blooms Scotch Broom is easy to spot this time of year, and the state is asking everyone to send in information about where they see it as part of efforts to control the invasive plant.
The Washington Invasive Species Council (WISC) is calling for a May Scotch Broom census. “We need everyone’s help to size up the problem,” WISC executive coordinator Justin Bush said. “Without baseline information about the location and the population size, we don’t have enough details to determine solutions. The information from the census will help us set short-term and long-term action plans.”
Scotch Broom crowds out beneficial native species and clogs healthy habitats. Its dense stands can be a fire hazard, take over recreational and farming lands, and poison livestock. While eliminating Scotch Broom is unlikely, the state wants to take action to remove it from at-risk landscapes, parks, roadsides, forests and riverbanks.
“We’re asking people to send us information from their neighborhoods,” Bush said. Reports should include a photograph and some indication of the size of the patch in addition to the location. Reports can be made at invasivespecies.wa.gov/report-a-sighting/, or by using the WA Invasives mobile app.
You can also share information on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using hashtags #TheGreatScotchBroomCensus or #ScotchBroom2020Census.
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