Migratory Weeds

Lily'sDad

Lily'sDad

GMC, They Said
Senior Member
It used to be Pokeweed only grew in the South; Kentucky, Tennessee, W. Virginia and all points south. 20 years ago, or so I saw some in Illinois. Last year, I saw one shoot in my yard. This year, they are everywhere!

Another example; A few years ago, I planted a catmint plant(I wanted to grow my own bait for my cat traps.) It just never took off well and died. I planted another this year, but the stuff also took off wild in multiple places in the flower beds from who-knows-where.
 
Oh yeah, they love it! And it'll get away on you in the garden too if it goes to seed on you. I cut mine just before it flowers and dry it the same way you do garlic, hanging upside down in the shed for a couple of weeks.

Migrating plants? We never had either Burdock or Tansy in the pasture until the river flooded it several years ago. Now I have to take my hand sprayer and Round Up the individual plants before they get away on me. So far it is working and I am controlling them both, but it is a never ending job it seems. Seeds must have come on the flood waters from far upstream.
 
We are dumb enough to import weeds here.
Large outfit called Ernst Conservation grows weeds to export seeds for reclaimation locations. One Big buyer is our DOT and they plant them anywhere they have to disturb the ground. Say working on the local cloverleaf exchange or doing watershed management near the low section of town.
They are reportedly good people to work for, and they employ quite a few people. But...

We have new "volunteer" weeds showing up all the time. Stuff I've never seen in my life. No one could figure where they came from, until we found out that Ernst was growing them here to export back to the Midwest where they grow naturally.

Birds eat seeds, then poop. Some make it thru and germinate. Rest is history... and everybody's problem.
 
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