Maybe you have seen them growing on the side of the road, or out in your pasture. Tall Whitetop can grow from 2 to 7 feet tall when in full bloom; it bears showy clusters of fluffy white flowers. Have you seen them in the Sierra Valley? Maybe you saw some out along the Middle Fork Feather River. These plants spread via an extensive network of roots that can spread more than 10 feet. New shoots sprout from these roots to form new plants. Roots exposed by washouts and land disturbances fragment and move along wet areas to start new infestations downstream. Roots fragmented by the plowing, disking, tilling and other soil turning activities increase plant densities and facilitate further spread. Each plant can produce as many as 10,000 tiny red seeds that spread out and can out-compete previously existing plant communities. Tall Whitetop can invade a wide range of habitats including riparian areas (along creeks and streams), wetlands, floodplains, marshes, hay meadows, pastures, and croplands, along roadsides, railways, and vacant lots. It adapts quickly to natural and disturbed wetlands, which we have in abundance around Sierra Valley. As it establishes and expands, the Tall Whitetop creates large stands that displace native plants and animals. In addition to impacting alfalfa and pasture production, it has been reported to adversely affect food quality and nesting habitat for native birds. Once it establishes a foothold, it seriously decreases the productivity of our lands. These weeds are particularly devastating after wildfire because they easily dominate the revegetation process. Even though this plant quickly takes over there are some things that you can do to help in the fight against them. The first step it to get to know what these plants look like, be aware of them and fight them before they get too established. Be on the lookout! If you spot Tall Whitetop, dig it out and watch it carefully. If the invasion is widespread, call David Arsenault with the Sierra Valley Resource Conservation District (SVRCD) at (530) 283-0455. Your call will help us map infestations so that we can start the fight to control the spread of these invasive plants. It will likely take several years to eradicate this aggressive invader so let's begin the battle now. By actively managing our private lands and working together we can make the Sierra Valley a more productive, healthy place for future generations.

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