Iris douglasiana is a noxious weed

[mark goldschmidt]

The State of California lists Douglas iris as a noxious weed. A beautiful California native a noxious weed? Check it out, it's true. Why do you suppose? It seems that on seriously over-grazed land, Douglas iris can form thick stands which prevent annual grasses from re-establishing. Cattle don't eat Douglas iris, so ranchers need to spray herbicide on it to get rid of it -- well, that's my guess.

I think this kind of thing points out how full of errors the Noxious weed list is. There are plenty of serious pests out there, but including plants like California Pepper (how many do you see infesting our oak woodlands, and this is a plant imported by the padres that's been in California more than a 200 years!) and Douglas iris (a widely dispersed native plant) ruins the credibility of the lsit, and means that no one is gong to take it really seriously.

I would welcome any comment and maybe an explanation. I don't have all the facts, I'm just in shock to find this plant on the list in California.

Mark