Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board

05/29/2026

Goatsrue, Galega officinalis, is a Class A Noxious W**d in Washington. It grows as a large shrub in the pea family, and it invades wetland areas, quickly pushing out native species. It is also toxic to sheep and goats.

05/15/2026

Wild four o'clock, Mirabilis nyctaginea, is a Class A Noxious W**d in Washington. An infestation can start out looking like a couple w**dy plants, but can qu**ky spread across hundreds of acres of open areas like rangeland and agriculture fields.

05/08/2026

There are lots of ways to manage invasive plants. When a habitat is infested with a w**d species that isn't fire adapted, a controlled burn can help restore habitat. This is not a method for anyone to attempt on their own though, it requires a trained prescribed fire crew!

05/01/2026

Take a close look at your Scotch broom, it might actually be Spanish broom, Spartium junceum! It has similar impacts to its lookalike, but Spanish broom has smaller infestations in Washington, so we have a chance to eradicate it!

If the flowers grow near the tops of stems, instead of along the stems near the leaves, it could be Spanish broom. The leaves may not be present at all in the summer.

Right now they are only known in the Seattle area and on the North side of the Olympic peninsula.

04/23/2026

Noxious w**ds that are highly impactful to agriculture, waterhemp and Palmer amaranth, have been found in most bird seed bags. These seeds can survive being digested by birds, and greatly lower crop yields in infested fields.

W**ds like Palmer amaranth and waterhemp have a new means of spreading: commercially-available wildflower and bird seed. Learn more about how w**ds spread through store-bought seed in this article.

04/17/2026

Syrian bean-caper, Zygophyllum fabago, is a Class A w**d in Washington State. It uses its strong taproot to help invade rangeland and sagebrush areas, where it impacts native species and livestock forage.

04/10/2026

Texas bluew**d, helianthus ciliaris, (named for the blue-ish tone of the foliage, not for the obviously yellow flower!) is native to Texas and the SW United States. However, its natural range does not reach Washington, and it is a Class A Noxious W**d here, due its impacts on agriculture!

04/02/2026

April is Native Plant Month! Controlling noxious w**ds helps make way for our beautiful native plants to come back to Washington's habitats. Planting native species can also hold the ground against w**ds while helping our natural resources.

03/26/2026

Purple starthistle, Centaurea calcitrapa, is a spiny invasive plant related to thistles and knapw**ds. It aggressively invades grassland areas, and is unpalatable to livestock and wildlife. It also hinders recreation, would you want to walk through those sharp spines?

03/19/2026

It is national agriculture week! We work closely with Washington State Department of Agriculture and countless other partners across the region to help manage w**ds.

Whether you like to grow things, are a nature lover, or buy and sell anything having to do with agriculture, you benefit from the work of WSDA’s Plant Protection Division.

The division is most well-known for its work protecting the state from invasive pests like the northern giant hornet. But the division is also responsible for ensuring that hops meet quality standards so you can enjoy things like a beer, and they even make sure you get the full amount you pay for at the grocery store or farmers market.

Keep an eye on our page for more content highlighting WSDA as we celebrate National Ag Week!