Weeds be gone - Oxeye Daisy
Thursday, June 6, 2024
Attention, landowners! Have you crossed paths with the notorious Oxeye Daisy?
Oxeye Daisy (Leucantheumum vulgare) is a perennial weed listed as noxious on the Alberta Weed Control Act. It grows in a variety of habitats and thrives in nutrient poor soils.
Why the fuss, you ask? Well, Oxeye Daisy isn't just a pretty face. It is a relentless competitor, elbowing out our beloved native plants and pasture species with ease. What more? This pesky weed is often confused for the ornamental Shasta Daisy and infiltrates wildflower seed mixes, making it a menace for unsuspecting gardeners. Oxeye-Daisy.pdf (rockyview.ca)
Don't be fooled by its charming appearance—this daisy means business. With a remarkable ability to propagate through both seeds and stealthy underground roots, a single Oxeye Daisy has the potential to disperse an astonishing 26,000 seeds (Alberta Agriculture & Forestry, 2011) into its surrounding environment. Notably, these seeds exhibit a remarkable longevity with the potential of persisting in the soil for several years.
There is hope in the battle against this floral foe. Mowing and deadheading can offer temporary control and be efficient in stopping small infestations from going to seed. However, due to the creeping rhizomes, the most effective control strategy involves a herbicide application containing Metsulfuron-methyl or 2,4-D. Timing is key here—hit 'em before they flower as seeds can be viable 10 days after flowering begins.
For those hungry for more knowledge, a number of resources are available to help dive deeper into the world of Oxeye Daisy and other troublemakers prowling our county. Fact sheets and other resources are available on the Rocky View County website as well as the Alberta Invasive Species Council website. Additionally, an informative booklet to help with weed identification is available here on the Association of Alberta Agicultural Fieldmen (AAAF) website.
Scentless chamomile is another species commonly misidentified as Oxeye daisy but is equally invasive and also listed as a noxious species on the Weed Control Act. More information on this species is also available on the Rocky View County and Alberta Invasive Species Council’s websites.
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Agriculture