Volunteers Pull Spotted Knapweed
Two groups of volunteers pulled and removed over 10 bags of Spotted Knapweed from open field areas at Maybury State Park. Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea Stoebe) is a bushy biennial plant native to Eurasia. It is of concern because it is poisonous (phytotoxic) to other plants, enabling it to take over large swatches of land, where then only it grows.
Its leaves are bluish-green and lance-like. Pinkish-purple flowers are similar to thistle and begin blooming in July. Hand-pulling is the best way to remove, taking care to pull the entire taproot from the soil. Its name refers to the black-tipped sepals that look like spots on the flower buds.
> About Spotted Knapweed (PDF)
A HUGE thank you to all of the volunteers who came out to help. (Apologies to group one for not capturing as many pictures from our day and efforts.)
