It's War ; First Step to Battling Weeds' Silent Invasion Is Knowing the Enemy

Summary

---

CHEYENNE -- On the grassy slope of a railroad bed, a few miles west of Cheyenne and just feet from the rumbling wheels of Union Pacific freight trains, a small, but potentially dangerous plant is growing.

Its name hints at the peril: viper's bugloss, or blueweed. A native of Europe, it can cause rashes, poison livestock, host several crop diseases and could take over rangeland if cattle avoid grazing it.

See the full content of this document

Extract

---

It's War ; First Step to Battling Weeds' Silent Invasion Is Knowing the Enemy

So far, it just has a toehold. The silver-gray plants have spread out of Laramie County. But it is not alone.

Bindweed, leafy spurge, saltcedar, Canada thistle, Russian knapweed, Dyer's woad, purple loosestrife -- all these plants have entered and assaulted Wyoming. They already sap the state's water, edge out endangered plants, rob cattle and wildlife of habitat and forage, infest the state's crops and steal profits from ranchers and farmers.

"It's like a wildfire with no smoke or flame," said Bob Lee, Cheyenne's dire...

See the full content of this document

---