By Jan | Published: April 26, 2012 – 7:52 pm

Across the landscape of Coupeville to the highest points on Pennington Hill, the invasive, toxic Spurge laurel (Daphne laureola) is invading our gardens, hedgerows, and forests.  It is also known as Daphne-laurel, laurel-leaved daphne, olive-spurge, wood laurel, copse laurel.  Click here for a photo.

Like Scott’s broom, it is very aggressive and has potential for great environmental harm.  It can, and has elsewhere, completely displaced other understory plants like ferns, woodland flowers, Salal, and Oregon grape, etc,. creating a monotonous monoculture.  Its aggressive nature and toxicity qualify it as a noxious weed in Washington State.  The berries, leaves and bark are poisonous to humans, cats and dogs.  Handling the plant can cause contact dermatitis.  In adjacent counties (Snohomish, Pierce, Thurston, Skagit and San Juan) it is already listed as a class “A” noxious weed.  This requires property owners to remove the plant.  It is in the process of being listed in Island County’s Noxious Weed list. 

 

General description

Spurge laurel is a shade-tolerant, long-lived evergreen shrub from Europe and the Mediterranean region that has escaped from gardens and naturalized in woodlands and other shady places. Spurge laurel can grow in a wide range of conditions, but it thrives in full to partial shade and well-drained soils. Its blue-black berries are attractive to birds and rodents, which are responsible for its propagation.  It can also spread by root sprouts.  Large plants can reach 8 or 10 feet tall and have a deep taproot making them very difficult to pull.

Eradication

Autumn is the best time to cut the larger plants at the base and treat the stump with Triclopyr or Glyphosate (Round-Up) directly applied with a 1” sponge brush.  Plants up to three years old can be controlled fairly effectively (up to 95% mortality) with a weed whip or similar tool by cutting the plant close to the ground level.  Due to the plant’s ability to sprout from suckers, it is advisable to apply herbicide to stems immediately following cutting.  Other techniques are being evaluated.

Caution: Due to the irritating toxins in the sap, fruit and leaves, you must wear gloves.  It is critical to remove plants before they fruit.  In the spring, seedlings and young plants can be hand-pulled.  Larger
plants can be pulled with a weed wrench or similar tool, but all of the root should be removed to avoid re-growth from root sprouts.  After pulling, the area should be monitored for new seedlings and covered with a deep mulch.

Disposal

Plants can be brought to any Island County Solid Waste Disposal site and disposed of for free.  They do not need to be bagged.  You can also bag them and toss them in the trash.

More Information

You can read more in the written findings of the WA state Noxious Weed Control Board or you can contact your county noxious weed coordinator.

Whidbey Audubon Society and the Whidbey Environmental Action Network have prepared an action plan, which includes mapping this threat and organizing volunteer eradication teams.  If you know of plants and or are interested in participating in eradication efforts, contact WEAN:  wean@whidbey.net or Gary Piazzon at 678-5131  piazzon@comcast.net.

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By Jan | Published: April 24, 2012 – 11:57 pm

Whidbey Island, WA – Visitors to the Trillium Community Forest this week will park their vehicles on a new lot built to provide more parking adjacent to the existing public access point, the Whidbey Camano Land Trust announced today.

 “This is a fantastic upgrade of the community’s access.  Thanks to the Land Trust for its continuing stewardship of the Community Forest,” said Bill Oakes, Island County Parks and Public Works Director.

The new 14-vehicle lot replaces a four-vehicle parking area and will be available for public use during daylight hours only.  The parking area is located at Pacific Dogwood Lane and State Highway 525 on the northeastern corner of the 654-acre Community Forest.  According to Pat Powell, Land Trust executive director, the access road leading to the new lot was designed to fit into the existing landscape as well as limit tree removal.

 

Sixteen volunteers joined staff recently to complete work on the new parking lot at the Trillium Community Forest. They installed an entrance sign, moved the kiosk to its permanent home, built a fence, and created 14 parking spaces. Pictured above are John Cannon, Ted Ravetz, and Land Trust board member Grant Heiken.

“As the weather improves, we believe more people will want to use the Community Forest’s wonderful trails for walking and biking,” said Powell. “We built this parking lot to allow the public more access so they can enjoy what they have helped to save.”

Due to highway safety concerns, the new parking area will not be open to horse trailers or vehicles over 22 feet in length.

“Future plans call for raising funds to acquire a property on Smugglers Cove Road to create another parking area that will accommodate horse trailers,” Powell said, adding that, “It is a high priority to find an appropriate place for equestrians to access the Community Forest.”

The Trillium Community Forest, the largest remaining contiguously-owned forest on Whidbey Island, was acquired by the Land Trust in late 2010 after a successful community fundraising effort.  It is open during daylight hours for hikers, bikers and equestrians.  Dogs must be kept on leash.  An off-leash dog area is located just a few miles north at Greenbank Farm.

Visit www.wclt.org to learn more about the Whidbey Camano Land Trust, the Trillium Community Forest, and other important lands protected, cared for and restored by the Land Trust.

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