Invasive Brochures & Resources

Invasive Plants Booklet [PDF - 6.1 MB]

Information for Saanich residents to identify and control invasive plants on private lands.  Featured: Scotch Broom, English Holly, English Ivy, Himalayan Blackberry, Daphne, English Hawthorne and more.

Asian Giant Hornet - new priority invader found in 2019

  • A very large invasive ground-nesting hornet newly identified in BC

Blessed Milk Thistle Alert Sheet [PDF - 250 KB]

  • Silybum marianum
  • Management status:  Eradicate
  • Tall thistle with white marbled green leaves and spiny bracts on flower-head.

European Fire Ants [PDF - 764 KB]

  • Myrmica rubra
  • Aggressive Invader
  • Small red ant that swarms and stings. Factsheet from the Province of B.C.

Garlic Mustard Alert Sheet [PDF - 1.9 MB]

  • Alliaria petiolata
  • Management status:  Eradicate
  • Heart-shaped to triangular leaves, small, white 4-petal flowers and garlic odour when crushed.

Giant Hogweed Alert Sheet [PDF - 256 KB]

  • Heracleum mantegazzianum
  • Management status:  Eradicate
  • Very large (up to 6 m) plant with sharply incised leaves, spotted stems and umbrella-shaped flower head.
  • PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD:  see alert sheet.

Gorse [PDF - 3 MB]

  • Ulex europaeus
  • Management status: Contain
  • Spiny evergreen shrub with yellow pea-like flowers developing into black, hairy seedpods.

Invasive Knotweeds Alert Sheet [PDF - 1.7 MB]

  • Fallopia/Polygonum spp
  • Management status:  Eradicate
  • Bamboo-like, speckled hollow stems, late flowering white/green clusters, vigorous rhizomes.

Lesser Celandine Alert Sheet [PDF - 1.2 MB]

  • Ranunculus ficaria
  • Management status: Eradicate
  • Low growing, yellow-flowering perennial from the buttercup family.
Poison Hemlock Alert Sheet [PDF - 188 KB]
  • Conium maculatum
  • Management status:  Contain carrot-like leaves, hollow purple-blotched stems, small white flowers.
  • PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD:  see alert sheet.

Policeman’s Helmet Alert Sheet [PDF - 185 KB]

  • Impatiens glandulifera
  • Management status:  Eradicate
  • Annual plant 2 – 3 m tall with reddish, hollow stems and pink/purple flowers.

Purple Loosestrife Alert Sheet [PDF - 295 KB]

  • Lythrum salicaria
  • Management status:  Contain
  • Perennial plant up to 2 m tall with pink/purple flower spikes (June to September).

Shiny Geranium

Shiny Geranium Alert Sheet [PDF - 405 KB] (BC)

Shiny Geranium Alert Sheet [PDF - 2 MB] (CRD)

  • Geranium lucidum
  • Management status:  Eradicate
  • Low growing annual to biennial with 5 petaled, pink flowers. Report sightings to the province.

Yellow Flag Iris Alert Sheet [PDF - 137 KB]

  • Iris pseudacorus
  • Management status: Contain
  • Long, sword shaped iris leaves and yellow flowers with 3 petals facing up and 3 facing down.