The city of Coquitlam is asking residents to pitch in to help eradicate invasive plant species.
The prevalence of invasive plants — including giant hogweed, English ivy, Japanese knotweed and morning glory — can take over the natural environment and push out native plants, according to a city press release, which also stated invasive plants tend to grow quickly and can be expensive to control and eradicate.
Residents are asked to help by:
• learning how to identify Coquitlam's common invasive plants at www.coquitlam.ca/badseed;
• being aware of the city's pesticide use controls and the substances that are restricted at www.coquitlam.ca/pesticides;
• containing or removing invasive plants on their property to prevent them from spreading;
• never dumping garden waste or hanging baskets into parks or natural areas;
• disposing of invasive plant materials in the green cart, with the exception of giant hogweed, which can cause burns (best to call a professional for hogweed removal);
• cleaning off boots and shoes to get rid of hitchhiking weed seeds to prevent these species invading a new area;
• and volunteering to participate in a local weed-pulling event and helping remove invasive plants from a Coquitlam parks.
gmckenna@tricitynews.com
@gmckennaTC
