Contact THE RM OFFiCE if you spot an abundance of:
Common burdock
An introduced biennial that forms a rosette of leaves the first year, and large, stout flowering bolt with many branches the second year.
It prefers areas with moist fertile soils – riparian areas – and recent soil disturbance. Its prickly seed heads are designed for dispersal, readily attaching to whatever animal may brush past.
Common Burdock produces burrs which can entangle in the manes and tails of horses and the wool of sheep and can damage and de-value the wool of sheep. Heavily burred cattle can experience eye, nose or mouth injuries, are stressed, de-valued at market, and aid in the weed’s spread.
yellow toadflax
Brought from Europe over 100 years ago as an ornamental plant, yellow toadflax has escaped and has now become a serious problem to rangeland and mountain meadows all over North America.
This perennial plant makes seed, but reproduction is primarily by sprouting from its extensive, creeping root system (rhizomes) – 2-3 week old seedlings can produce creeping roots. The ability of this plant to form large colonies allows it to crowd out other vegetation.
Yellow toadflax is easily confused with leafy spurge before flowering, but toadflax stems do not contain the milky latex that spurge does.
Also known as common toadflax, butter-and-eggs, or spurred snapdragon
scentless chamomile
Scentless chamomile can behave as an annual, biennial, or sometimes a perennial, but reproduces by seed only. Plants are usually very bushy and have a fibrous root system.
It continually blooms, forms seed, and seeds germinate throughout the growing season: fall seedlings overwinter and are usually first to flower in spring.
This is not the chamomile used for tea as it is scentless.
A single, robust plant can occupy one full square meter and produce up to one million seeds. Scentless chamomile and oxeye daisy are often mistaken for each other as the flowers are nearly identical, but the leaves are very different. Both plants are weeds - there are no native white-flowered daisies in Saskatchewan. It can also be confused with stinking mayweed or pineapple weed, but the foliage of these two plants has an odor.
Learn More:
More information about this monitoring initiative is available online at:
Waterhemp: biology and control (Field Crop News: see section 3, Testing services to identify waterhemp and determine if herbicide resistant)
Aquatic Invasive Species (Zebra Mussels & Others)
Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are non-native plants, animals, or organisms that spread between waterbodies, most often by attaching to watercraft, trailers, and related equipment. Protecting Saskatchewan's lakes and rivers from AIS depends on prevention, inspection, and public education — and on every boater doing their part.
Provincial and federal measures include:
- Saskatchewan regulates the import, possession, and transport of high-risk aquatic species, including invasive mussels. Boaters should confirm current requirements with Saskatchewan Environment before transporting watercraft or equipment between waterbodies.
- All watercraft transported into Saskatchewan must have drain plugs removed, and operators must stop at watercraft inspection stations and submit to inspection when directed. Failure to comply can result in a fine.
- Saskatchewan Environment conservation officers can inspect, quarantine, and decontaminate watercraft known or suspected to carry invasive species. The province operates mobile watercraft decontamination units stationed along the Manitoba and U.S. borders and at other points across the province.
- Canada Border Services Agency officers, in cooperation with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, inspect watercraft entering Canada from the United States for aquatic invasive species.
- Provincial watershed groups assist with monitoring and public education on prevention.
- Saskatchewan coordinates with other provinces and federal agencies on inspection and prevention efforts across jurisdictions.
Every boater's responsibility: Clean, Drain, Dry
Before moving a watercraft between waterbodies — or bringing one into Saskatchewan — boaters must:
- Clean and inspect the watercraft, trailer, and all gear that contacted the water, removing all visible plants, animals, and mud.
- Drain all on-board water from the motor, livewell, bilge, and ballast tanks, and leave plugs out during transport.
- Dry the watercraft and equipment completely, ideally for at least five days, with compartments left open.
Unwanted bait, leeches, aquarium plants, and water should never be released into lakes, rivers, or wetlands.
Clean, Drain and Dry Your Boat | Aquatic Invasive Species | Government of Saskatchewan
