Today I found this clump of lovely California Poppies close to our community tool shed. It almost looked tropical against the sea of green leaves and pastel color palate of the spring garden. I imagined how wonderful my summer garden might look as the California Poppy seemed to scream "summer" to me. Then it suddenly struck me that someone at the Community Garden had told me that the California Poppy was considered invasive in the garden. Or did they say it was invasive in Oregon? Or both?
I did an Internet search this evening for more information and found that although the the California Poppy is drought tolerant and self seeding it is only recognized as a potentially invasive species. Another question. What is considered invasive in Oregon? I did not find the California Poppy on the list, but did find other plants such as Ivy. It might be a good idea if you don't know what is on your state's invasive species list to take a quick look.
What do you do when you have a invasive plant growing in your garden? Here is a video from the University of Maine Extension Services.
