Invasive Plants Booklet
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
- Silybum marianum
- Management status: Eradicate
- Tall thistle with white marbled green leaves and spiny bracts on flower-head.
European Fire Ants
- Myrmica rubra
- Aggressive Invader
- Small red ant that swarms and stings. Factsheet from the Province of B.C.
Garlic Mustard Alert Sheet
- Alliaria petiolata
- Management status: Eradicate
- Heart-shaped to triangular leaves, small, white 4-petal flowers and garlic odour when crushed.
Giant Hogweed Alert Sheet
- 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 Alert Sheet
- Ulex europaeus
- Management status: Contain
- Spiny evergreen shrub with yellow pea-like flowers developing into black, hairy seedpods.
Invasive Knotweeds Alert Sheet
- Fallopia/Polygonum spp
- Management status: Eradicate
- Bamboo-like, speckled hollow stems, late flowering white/green clusters, vigorous rhizomes.
Lesser Celandine Alert Sheet
- Ranunculus ficaria
- Management status: Eradicate
- Low growing, yellow-flowering perennial from the buttercup family.
Poison Hemlock Alert Sheet
- 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
- Impatiens glandulifera
- Management status: Eradicate
- Annual plant 2 – 3 m tall with reddish, hollow stems and pink/purple flowers.
Purple Loosestrife Alert Sheet
- 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 (BC)
Shiny Geranium Alert Sheet (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
- Iris pseudacorus
- Management status: Contain
- Long, sword shaped iris leaves and yellow flowers with 3 petals facing up and 3 facing down.