State: Drop a dime on that Scotch broom patch

Want to be a Scotch broom vigilante?

As part of a statewide survey, officials are asking residents to finger the worst patches of the hated weed in and around Gig Harbor and the Key Peninsula.

The Washington Invasive Species Council is conducting a census of the invasive species during May, which is high blooming season for the fast-spreading weed.

Scotch broom, believed imported from Europe in the late 19th Century by someone nostalgic for its yellow blooms, was first used as a garden ornamental, then planted along roadsides and cut banks to prevent soil erosion.

Big mistake.

Scotch broom spread so rapidly, it now infests 30 of Washington’s 39 counties, according to Justin Bush, executive coordinator of the invasive species council.

It displaces native plants; destroys range land and grasslands; dense stands impede the movement of wildlife; the seeds are poisonous to humans, horses and livestock, and it’s considered a fire hazard during dry season.

Despite its near-ubiquity, however, the state doesn’t have much information about specific locations, Bush said.

“We need everyone’s help to size up the problem,” said Bush. “Without baseline information about the location and population size, we don’t have enough details to determine solutions.”

Bush is asking people to scout their neighborhoods for patches of Scotch broom and report their sightings to a web site, https://invasivespecies.wa.gov/report-a-sighting/.

He’s also looking for pictures of the worst patches. They can be shared on that site, or with the council on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter by using the hashtag #TheGreatScotchBroomCensus.

People with Scotch broom on their property can get advice — and sometimes practical help — from the Pierce County Noxious Weed Control Board, which has a web site at http://www.piercecountyweedboard.org/

This story was originally published May 6, 2020 at 9:11 PM.