![]() ![]() French broom is a pretty ornamental perennial and a ferocious invader. ![]() Genista monspessulana has taken over an estimated 100,000 acres in California since its mid 19 th Century introduction as an ornamental, growing at a rate of more than two feet per growing a season. In the case of French broom, a woody perennial shrub that comes dressed up in attractive yellow flowers, removal has been a focus of native plant restoration efforts for many years around the Bay Area. As we reflect on the compounding problems facing the planet, as individuals it may seem like the best we can do is keep pulling the weeds we see in our own backyards, however intractable they might be. That might as well be the motto for Earth Day 2014. She laughs: “What are you going to do? Whatever you can.” One of the volunteers tells Whelan that the effort is “analogous to reclaiming the Sahara with watering can.” ![]() And yet, volunteers put in about 3,000 hours on Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD) land during the 2012-2013 fiscal year in habitat restoration, much of it involving removing the “No.1 weed in Marin County.” Pulling weeds is not glamorous or easy work. She cautions them about the hazards of the job: ticks, poison oak, sunburn, uneven terrain, bees and general exhaustion from the heat. Each year controlling this invasive plant will require significantly less time and effort, you may never truly eradicate it because of any seeds on the surface and seeds that come in with birds and run off but it can be controlled so that native species can once again compete.Suzanne Whelan stands in front of a thick patch of French broom and addresses a group of 17 volunteers who traded in last Saturday to help remove this invasive plant from the Mt. Then if the site is walked through out the springtime and summer seedlings can be removed without much energy for those that have a good eye for identification. ![]() Nail a 2-foot square of black poly sheet over each crown will kill the plant as it tries to sprout from the roots. Any plants which are missed and produce seed in any given year could prolong complete eradication by decades. The protocol we follow to maintain control is to cut the plant as close to the ground as posable before they start to flower for the season and not disturb the native ground cover, to do so plants seeds on the surface. A Protocol for Control of the Broom Species One site we used the stand as dense maze to teach compass navigation. In both Felton and Lake Concow we have seen infestations that were a quarter acre or more in area, 12-feet tall, and so dense that even crawling our participants could not penetrate the stand. Seed banks on the surface on mature plants may persist for decades can remain viable in the soil for over 25 years or more. With its long seed life, ability to quickly colonize disturbed areas to form dense stands, adaptability to a wide range of habitats and conditions, and long seed life it has been a difficult task to completely eradicate from sites. It is nitrogen fixing and with that it can easily overtake the native forages. These are now one of the most pervasive and destructive invasive plant species in many parts of the west. Like many other invasive species in the 19th century these three were brought in as ornamentals, erosion control, fodder, and for their use as fiber. One of the plants we have trained our students to identify and control has been the three broom species: Scotch Broom Cytisus scoparius, French broom Genista monspessulana, and Spanish broom Spartium junceum. As good stewards of the land we need to keep all invasives in check. Invasives be it macro-invertebrates, birds, mammals, or plants, will push out the native species and those native species may be endangered or necessary habitat for other species that may be in danger. The Importance of Keeping Invasives in Check For nearly 20 years our participants have taken pride in our venues by removing junk, trash, and graffiti working at erosion control, putting in deterrents to others cutting trails and covering bare spots with duff, and helping to keep invasive plants in check. If you have been in any of our programs you will hear us say in our introduction that we will leave the site better than we found it you will also know that we walk that talk. Albert Howard Leave It Better Than How You Found It: French, Scotch, and Spanish Broom It has been going on ever since, wherever man’s culture of the earth has bared the soil to rain and wind.” It began when the first heavy rain struck the first furrow turned by a crude implement of tillage in the hands of prehistoric man. ![]()
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