April showers bring May flowers, right? Although this saying holds true for most years and can be a welcome relief to your post-winter landscaping at home, it can have a completely opposite effect on those of us who have cattle being turned out onto pastures and grazing leases on Forest Service or BLM ground. These flowers that are beginning to appear in May just may be attached to a plant (noxious weed) that can actually cause harm to our livestock.
There is a long list of noxious weeds, and their prevalence varies in each individual state. Within these lists, there may be classifications like containment, control and early detection rapid response (EDRR). These let you know just how urgent it is to control a specific weed. Some common weeds that many states have are thistles, knapweeds, knotweeds, spurge, houndstongue, hemlock and more. Check with your local weed superintendent or your state department of agriculture website for a list of common weeds in your state.
For those who feel that, despite your best efforts, you have not yet become proficient in identifying these poisonous plants, do not despair. There are a number of resources around you that are at your disposal to aid in identifying these plants. First, if you don’t have a copy of Weeds of the West published by the University of Wyoming, I highly recommend it, as this is a comprehensive resource with pictures and descriptive details of over 50 plant families and their associated weeds. This book, along with the USDA’s Field Guide to Noxious and Invasive Weeds and numerous other pamphlets/websites from universities or state departments of agriculture, are great resources for personal use.
For a second opinion, take a sample of the plant in question to your local university extension office or county weed department. Both offices have seen many of these plants and can help you with identifying it and potentially how to eliminate that plant from your grazing ground. If you are planning on bringing in a sample, please remember a few things. Don't place the plant in a plastic bag and leave it in the truck while you run some errands; it will be wilted by the time you get it to anyone to look at. Paper bags are much better to help preserve the plant. You could also get some pictures of the plant where you found it so your local extension agent or county weed superintendent can have more clues to identify a specific plant as well as determine the extent of the infestation.
