Invasive Weeds in the Yuba-Sutter area are non-native plants whose natural predators or stresses do not exist here, allowing them to grow wildly out of control, crowding out native plants for miles around.
Invasive weeds cause land values to drop. They change diverse ecosystems filled with hundreds of interdependent species into vast expanses of land containing very few living things other than themselves. They make land less useful for gardening, crop farming, farm animal forage, hiking, bicycling, boating, fishing, hunting, wildlife habitat, and photography. Many of them increase the risks of wildfires or floods. Do not plant invasive species or allow them to grow on your property! If you do, you will soon have little else left alive in your yard—and worse, all your neighbors will have little else left alive in their yards, and the forests or ecological preserves near you may be killed off and taken over by these plants as well.
Fifty acres of nothing but a single invasive plant species might make a pretty photograph or two once a year when it's all in bloom, but fifty acres of the complex native ecosystem that originally existed there, containing hundred of interdependent species, would have made hundreds of pretty photographs per day, all year round. And when you plant an invasive weed, your one little plant will very likely become fifty acres of nothing else.
Some of the worst non-native invasive weeds that people continue to plant in the Yuba-Sutter area include Russian olive tree, common fig tree, common velvetgrass, Italian ryegrass, parrot-feather watermilfoil, Himalayan blackberry, Himalaya berry, and bigleaf periwinkle.
Not all common garden weeds are classified as invasive. Some weeds can pose a tremendous threat to your garden plants without actually posing much of a threat to native species, if the ecological niche they fill is a niche that exists mostly in gardens and that native plants wouldn't have thrived in anyway. For common garden weeds that are not known to pose a threat to native ecosystems, see the Common Garden Weeds page.
Invasive Trees
Under the 5th Street Bridge, tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca) invades the nature area at Beckwourth Riverfront Park Complex. Photo by queerbychoice. blackwood acacia (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Yolo County) Chinese tree of heaven (common along the Yuba River and Feather River) Russian olive tree (also called oleaster) Tasmanian blue gum tree (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Sacramento and Yolo Counties) common fig tree tree tobacco olive tree pistachio tree (also called Mount Atlas mastic tree) Chinese pistachio tree cherry plum tree black locust tree Chinese tallow tree (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Butte and Yolo Counties) athel tamarisk tree (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Sacramento and Yolo Counties) smallflower tamarisk (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Butte, Colusa, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) saltcedar (also called tamarisk; not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Yolo County)
Invasive Shrubs
Himalaya berries (Rubus discolor) invade a drainage channel on the northern border of Marysville. Photo by queerbychoice. camelthorn (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Yolo County) silverleaf cotoneaster (also called woolly cotoneaster; not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Butte County) **Scotch broom **French broom narrowleaf firethorn (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Sacramento and Yolo Counties) scarlet firethorn (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Butte County) **Himalayan blackberry Himalaya berry (also called eastern blackberry) scarlet wisteria (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Butte, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) Spanish broom (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Butte and Yolo Counties) gorse (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Butte, Nevada, and Placer Counties)
**Most invasive of all
Invasive Vines
*field bindweed (also called orchard morning glory; common on levees throughout the Yuba-Sutter area) English ivy (also called Algerian ivy; not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Butte County) *hairy vetch (also called woolly vetch or winter vetch; common on levees throughout the Yuba-Sutter area)
*Only borderline invasive
Invasive Grasses
Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) invades a Marysville lawn. This grass spreads by sending long rhizomes in every direction—into garden beds and even across sidewalks—to root wherever they touch soil. Photo by queerbychoice. **barbed goatgrass Pacific bentgrass creeping bentgrass (also called redtop) *silver hairgrass (also called shivergrass) sweet vernalgrass **giant reed slender wild oats (also called slim oats) common wild oats purple false brome big quaking grass (also called rattlesnake grass) ripgut bromegrass soft chess (also called soft bromegrass) Japanese bromegrass (also called downysheath cheatgrass, Japanese chess, or hairy chess) **red bromegrass (also called foxtail chess) cheatgrass (also called downy bromegrass or downy chess) pampasgrass (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Butte, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) Bermuda grass hedgehog dogtail grass (also called bristly dogstail grass) orchardgrass alta fescue (also called tall fescue or reed fescue) waxy mannagrass common velvetgrass seaside barley mouse barley (also called Farmer's foxtail barley) Italian ryegrass crimson fountaingrass (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Sacramento County) bulbous canarygrass Millet mountain ricegrass (also called smilograss) Kentucky bluegrass rabbitsfoot grass (also called annual beardgrass) ravennagrass (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Colusa and Yolo Counties) **Medusa-head grass *brome fescue (also called European foxtail fescue or six weeks fescue) foxtail fescue (also called rattail fescue)
*Only borderline invasive **Most invasive of all
Orchardgrass (Dactyli glomerata) forms blue-green clumps at the edge of a Marysville yard. Photo by queerbychoice.
Invasive Forbs
Aster Family
Bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) invades a garden in Marysville. It can be identified by the fact that it is the only thistle found in the Yuba-Sutter area that has prickles on the faces of its leaves. Photo by queerbychoice. Russian knapweed *stinking chamomile (also called Mayweed or dog fennel) musk thistle (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Nevada, Placer, Plumas, and Sierra Counties) Italian thistle woolly distaff thistle (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Nevada County) red star thistle (also called purple star thistle) diffuse knapweed (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Butte, Colusa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Sierra, and Yolo Counties spotted knapweed tocalote (also called Napa star thistle or Maltese star thistle) **yellow star thistle spotted knapweed skeleton weed (also called hogbite) Canada thistle (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Butte, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Sierra, and Yolo Counties) bull thistle common brass buttons artichoke thistle (also called cardoon) stinkwort (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) smooth cat's ear rough cat's ear (also called hairy cat's ear) *prickly lettuce **Scotch cottonthistle ox-eye daisy (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Butte, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) bristly oxtongue blessed milkthistle *spiny sowthistle (also called prickly sowthistle) *common dandelion yellow salsify (also called goat's beard)
*Only borderline invasive **Most invasive of all
Prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola) can grow four feet tall if allowed to, as it has been in this untended Marysville front yard. Photo by queerbychoice. 
Ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) is not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties. Photo by queerbychoice. 
Blessed milkthistle (Silybum marianum) blooms next to a pile of boulders in Pleasant Grove. Photo by queerbychoice.
Mustard Family
black mustard common field mustard lenspod whitetop heartpod whitetop flix weed (also called herb sophia) Mediterranean hoary mustard (also called shortpod mustard or summer mustard) dyer's woad **broadleaf pepperweed cultivated radish (also called jointed charlock) charlock mustard London rocket (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Butte, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties)
*Only borderline invasive **Most invasive of all
Geranium Family
Whitestem filaree (Erodium moschatum) in an untended Marysville front yard. Photo by queerbychoice. *broadleaf filaree (also called longbeak filaree, big heron's bill, or longbeak stork's bill) *shortfruit filaree (also called shortfruit stork's bill, foothill filaree, or whitestem filaree) redstem filaree (also called redstem stork's bill or coastal heron's bill) *whitestem filaree (also called musky stork's bill) cutleaf geranium (also called common wild crane's bill) *dovefoot geranium (also called woodland crane's bill)
*Only borderline invasive
Other Families
Parrot-feather watermilfoil (Myriophyllum aquaticum) invades a drainage channel on the northern border of Marysville. Photo by queerbychoice. Australian saltbush (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Colusa and Sacramento Counties) poison hemlock common houndstongue (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Plumas and Sierra Counties) *carrot (also called Queen Anne's lace) common teasel (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Butte and Sacramento Counties) Brazilian egeria (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Butte and Sacramento Counties) **common water hyacinth fennel (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Butte, Nevada, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) **waterthyme common St. John's wort (also called Klamathweed) kochia (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Butte and Nevada Counties) yellow toadflax (also called butter and eggs; not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Butte, Placer, Plumas, and Sierra Counties) *broadleaf bird's-foot trefoil (also called birdfoot deervetch) **creeping water-primrose hyssop loosestrife **purple loosestrife common white horehound bur medic (also called bur clover) *yellow sweetclover pennyroyal parrot-feather watermilfoil spike watermilfoil (also called Eurasian milfoil or American watermilfoil) *American white waterlily *yellow sorrel (also called creeping woodsorrel) Bermuda buttercup yellow glandweed American pokeweed (also called pokeberry) *cutleaf plantain (also called buckhorn plantain) narrowleaf plantain (also called ribgrass, ribwort, or English plantain) Japanese knotweed (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Butte, Nevada, and Placer Counties) sacaline (also called giant knotweed) curlyleaf pondweed (not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Butte, Plumas, and Sacramento Counties) red sorrel (also called sheep sorrel; not yet found in Yuba or Sutter Counties, but spreading out of control in Butte, Colusa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, and Sierra Counties) curly dock (also called rhubarb) prickly Russian thistle (also called tumbleweed) bouncing bet (also called soapwort) *silverleaf horsenettle (also called silverleaf nightshade) rose clover field hedge-parsley (also called spreading hedge-parsley) common woolly mullein *purpletop vervain *seashore vervain bigleaf periwinkle (also called greater periwinkle)
*Only borderline invasive **Most invasive of all
Common white horehound (Marrubium vulgare) invades the nature area at Beckwourth Riverfront Park Complex. Photo by queerbychoice. 
Yellow sweetclover (Melilotus officinalis) in a Marysville garden. Sweetclovers are upright plants, not prostrate like true clovers. Photo by queerbychoice. 
Curly dock (Rumex crispus) in front of a recycling bin in an untended Marysville yard. Photo by queerbychoice. 
Bigleaf periwinkle (Vinca major) invades the American River Parkway. Photo by queerbychoice.
Links
Why Should You Care About Invasive Plants? Don't Plant a Pest! Alternatives to Invasive Garden Plants
