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SALT LAKE COUNTY -- It's a war on a leaf-laden, yellow blossoming ground cover that has done more than its share of covering the ground in some foothill areas above the Salt Lake Valley.
Sage Fitch, weed control specialist with the Salt Lake County noxious weed program, admits getting people passionate about getting rid of the plant isn't always an easy sell. But the plant that was once sold in Salt Lake County nurseries is causing problems.
"It's escaped its original garden plantings," said Fitch. "And it's now growing very aggressively in the foothills, displacing plants, displacing wildlife."
It also produces a milky white sap that can react with the sun on human skin, causing blisters and severe rashes. "I think one of the reasons it's gotten a lot of attention lately is because of its public health impact," Fitch said.
Several groups have been involved in programs to eradicate the weed, but it's still common in many areas, including gardens in the foothills. The problem is, though it's illegal to have a designated noxious weed growing in your yard, Fitch says the county simply doesn't have the kind of resources to fully enforce that law.
Instead, they try to identify problem areas, contact home owners and urge them to get rid of the weeds. One group, the Cottonwood Canyons Foundation conducts invasive weed pulls at various spots along the Wasatch Front.
E-mail: mgiauque@ksl.com
