Clallam Conservation District

06/17/2026

🌿 Invasive W**d Wednesday: Yellow archangel (Lamium galeobdolon) 🌿

Yellow archangel is an invasive w**d that forms dense mats of groundcover, outcompeting native vegetation, and does not provide adequate food and cover for wildlife. Found in forested, riparian, and residential areas, it thrives in both sun to shade.

Yellow archangel is a Class B-designated w**d in Clallam County, meaning controlling infestations and preventing the spread of all propagules is required.

How to identify yellow archangel:
• Opposite, oval-shaped, hairy leaves with silvery-gray markings
• Evergreen to semi-evergreen plant
• Yellow, two-lipped flowers
• Grows over other plants, smothering them
• Produces four nutlets (each containing a seed)

For more information and ID assistance, please visit WA State Noxious W**d Control Board’s website: https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/w**ds/yellow-archangel. If you would like control recommendations, please contact the Clallam County Noxious W**d Control Board at 360-417-2442 or email web_w**[email protected]. Contact Clallam Conservation District if seeking native plant recommendations.

Together, we can help protect Clallam County’s landscapes from invasive w**ds!

Photos courtesy of Washington State Noxious W**d Control Board.

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06/15/2026

Learn more about where your drinking water comes from if you are residing in Port Angeles!

PROVIDING CLEAN, SAFE water is one of our city’s most important responsibilities. Last year, our system delivered more than 800 million gallons of water to meet the health and fire protection needs of our community.

06/03/2026

Thistles may look striking with their purple blooms, but several invasive varieties are causing trouble across Clallam County. The main culprits? Canada thistle and bull thistle. Both are spiny, aggressive spreaders—and now is the perfect time to check your property for them. Note that there are native thistles in Clallam County that can be mistaken as invasive.

How to Tell Them Apart
• Canada Thistle: Shorter (2–5 ft), with smaller leaves.
• Bull Thistle: Taller (3–7 ft), larger leaves and more robust in appearance.

While none of these thistles are known to be toxic, their spread can choke out native vegetation, reduce forage in pastures and production in cropland, and degrade wildlife and pollinator habitats.

For more information, please visit WA State Noxious W**d Control Board’s website: https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/. If you see this plant or would like control recommendations, please contact the Clallam County Noxious W**d Control Board at 360-417-2442 or email web_w**[email protected].

Together, we can help protect Clallam County’s landscapes!

Photos courtesy of Washington State Noxious W**d Control Board.

Photos 1-3: Canada thistle
Photos 4-6: Bull thistle

05/27/2026

W**d Watch Wednesday – Tansy ragwort (Senecio Jacobaea)

Tansy ragwort is very invasive, especially in overgrazed pasture settings, and is very TOXIC. It can be lethal to horses and livestock both in pasture and dried in hay, causing irreversible liver damage. The toxic properties are also a threat to humans, as milk from livestock or honey from bees can become contaminated by animals and insects that utilize tansy ragwort plants. Tansy ragwort is a Class B-designated w**d in Clallam County, meaning controlling infestations and preventing the spread of all propagules is required.

Tansy ragwort is a biennial plant. It spends its first year of life as a rosette with ruffled dark green leaves making it harder to identify since it doesn’t flower at this stage of life. During the second year it becomes much more obvious, sending up one or more stems with bright yellow flowers that stand one to four feet tall at maturity. It typically begins blooming in late June, and will often bloom all summer long through the early fall.

Pulling is a very effective means of control, however wear gloves if doing so as it is also reported to be phototoxic and can cause skin irritation or burns if skin that has had contact with sap is exposed to the sun. Herbicide treatment is also an option, but make sure to read and follow all herbicide label information.

For more information, please visit WA State Noxious W**d Control Board’s website: https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/w**ds/tansy-ragwort. If you see this plant or would like control recommendations, please contact the Clallam County Noxious W**d Control Board at 360-417-2442 or email web_w**[email protected].

For assistance with pasture management techniques to help control tansy ragwort and other pasture w**ds, please contact Clallam Conservation District or visit our website: https://www.clallamcd.org/farm-assistance

Photos courtesy of Washington State Noxious W**d Control Board website.

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05/14/2026

With wildfire risk increasing each year, now is the time to take action. Join the Washington Department of Natural Resources and Clallam Conservation District for an informative workshop focused on preparing for wildfire season to improve protection for your home, buildings, and land on May 27th.

Topics will include fire ecology in Western Washington, common causes of wildfire, risks in the wildland-urban interface, and even more importantly, how to identify and reduce hazards around your home and property. We’ll also cover Firewise principles, including defensible space and fire-resistant native landscaping to reduce risk while supporting a healthier, more fire-resilient environment. Participants will take part in a live demonstration of a home wildfire risk assessment and learn practical steps they can take to improve safety on their own property.

Sign up on our website and learn more details: https://www.clallamcd.org/wildfireworkshop

Image: Fire at Lake Crescent. Image by CCD.

05/13/2026

Milk thistle is an invasive w**d that threatens native vegetation and beneficial forage. It accumulates nitrates, which if ingested by horses or livestock, can lead to nitrate poisoning, which can be lethal. Milk thistle is a Class A-designated w**d in Clallam County, meaning eradicating existing infestations and preventing new infestations is required by law. Milk thistle has been found present in Clallam County. Milk thistle grows in a variety of areas, including pastures, roadsides, waste areas, ditches, and disturbed areas.

Milk thistle is a sparsely branched thistle that can grow up to 6 feet tall with a distinctive pattern of green and white leaves. The leaves are alternate, deeply lobed, and have pointed tips. Flower heads are large and rounded, occurring at the stem tips. Flowers are purple and tubular.

Mowing is not recommended, as it may produce more plants the following year. For smaller plants, digging and hand-pulling is the best option. For bigger milk thistle, it’s important to clip the flowerheads and trash them before the seeds ripen.

Herbicide treatment is also an option, but make sure to read and follow all herbicide label information. For more information, please visit WA State Noxious W**d Control Board’s website: https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/w**ds/milk-thistle. If you see this plant or would like control recommendations, please contact the Clallam County Noxious W**d Control Board at 360-417-2442 or email web_w**[email protected].

Images from Washington State Noxious W**ds Control Board.

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05/11/2026

Join Clallam County Noxious W**d Control Board Director Christina St. John and Clallam Conservation District for a hands-on workshop focused on identifying and managing invasive noxious w**ds that threaten our local landscapes on May 20th!

Get up close with real plant samples and learn how to confidently recognize common noxious and invasive w**ds, understand how they spread, and why they matter for farms, forests, and natural areas. Participants are also encouraged to bring w**d samples from their own property for identification and discussion.

We’ll then split into small groups based on interest, either pastureland management or native habitat restoration, and talk about specific issues within these landscapes. This is a great opportunity to see these plants in real-world settings and walk away with practical tools you can use right away on your own land.

Whether you manage land or simply want to be more informed and proactive, this workshop offers a valuable opportunity to build skills, connect with local experts, and take action to protect the landscapes we all depend on. Sign up on our website here: https://www.clallamcd.org/invasivesworkshop

Image: Spurge laurel is a noxious w**d present in Clallam County. Image by CCD.

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05/07/2026

Join WSU Extension and Clallam Conservation District, in partnership with Anna Swanberg of Bent Gate Farms, for an engaging on-farm workshop focused on rotational grazing on May 11th.

The workshop will be held at Bent Gate Farms, a diversified livestock farm currently raising cattle and pigs, and will offer a firsthand look at how rotational grazing is used to improve pasture health and livestock management. Drawing on years of experience raising multiple species, Anna will share practical insights, lessons learned, and the decision-making behind their current approach.

Whether you’re new to grazing or looking to refine your system, this is a great opportunity to learn, ask questions, and see a working farm in action.

The workshop is free; registration is required. Learn more details and sign up through WSU Extension: https://events.com/r/en_US/registration/rotational-grazing-at-bent-gate-farms-port-angeles-may-1047494

Image: Lush pastures at Bent Gate Farm. Photo by CCD staff.

05/06/2026

Today’s W**d Watch Wednesday focus is on sulfur cinquefoil (Potentilla recta). This noxious w**d is found on a limited basis in Clallam County, but your help is needed to identify and control unknown patches to help keep this plant from becoming more widespread.

Sulfur cinquefoil grows one to three feet in height. The leaves of this plant have five to seven leaflets and the flowers have five light yellow petals with a darker yellow center. Sulfur cinquefoil can be found blooming in late May and continues to bloom throughout the summer.

Sulfur cinquefoil is extremely invasive, especially in meadows. It is unpalatable to livestock, quickly outcompeting grasses and reducing forage production. In addition to growing in pastures and fields, it can also be found in logged areas, waste areas, and roadsides.

For more information on identification and control please refer to the fact sheet found on Clallam County Noxious W**d Control Board’s website at: https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/6415/Sulfur-Cinquefoil-PDF or contact the Clallam County Noxious W**d Control Board by phone at 360-417-2442 or by email web_w**[email protected]

Thank you for helping provide another set of eyes to aid in control of sulfur cinquefoil and other noxious and invasive w**ds in Clallam County. Thank you for helping provide another set of eyes to aid in control of sulfur cinquefoil and other noxious and invasive w**ds in Clallam County. Photos courtesy of Washington State Noxious W**d Control Board.

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04/29/2026

It's w**d watch Wednesday!

Scotch broom is an incredibly invasive noxious w**d and is unfortunately found widespread throughout Clallam County. Scotch broom is required for control in and around 100 feet of any soil, gravel, mulch, or mineral mining to help prevent further spread.

Scotch broom aggressively reproduces by producing hundreds, if not thousands, of seeds per plant. These seeds remain viable for over 30 years, assisting it in creating monocultures that displace native and beneficial plants, such as desirable forage grasses and young trees.

Control Scotch broom BEFORE it sets seed for the year!!! Hand pulling or using a w**d wrench, can be a very effective means of control. W**d wrenches can be borrowed from WSU Clallam County Extension. For more information, contact them at: (https://extension.wsu.edu/clallam/scotch-broom-control).

For more information and ID info, please visit WA State Noxious W**d Control Board’s website: (https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/w**ds/scotch-broom). If you would like control recommendations, please contact the Clallam County Noxious W**d Control Board at 360-417-2442 or email web_w**[email protected].

Pictures: Scotch broom in flower and no flowers. Images provided by Clallam County Noxious W**ds.

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