Prince George is being warned about the spread of harmful weeds in the city.
Monday night, the City heard from Penni Adams with the Northwest Invasive Plant Council that a number of toxic or damaging weeds are being spotted around town.
“Some of our weeds are toxic to livestock, some of our weeds like Leafy Spurge can cause skin burns” said Adams. “We have a nasty one called Hogweed, the sap is extremely phytotoxic, which means when you’re exposed to the sun it keeps reoccurring almost like a burn.”
One reason for the spread of dangerous weeds is a lack of public knowledge.
“They don’t know that this plant is a problem” said Adams. “For example orange and yellow Hawkweeds, which are all over the place, are extremely invasive and yet they’re really pretty. Nobody wants to cut them down.”
She says residents should report any unfamiliar weeds found on their property to the NWIPC.