Yellow Flag Iris (Iris pseudacorus)

Transcription

1 Yellw Flag Iris (Iris pseudacrus) Designatin: Prvincial Nxius Weed; Reginal Categry 2 Figure 1: a) Flwer, b) Residential water garden c) Iris pseudacrus remval, d) Flwer. Pht Credit: a-d) Juliet Craig Prepared fr the BC Wildlife Federatin by

2 Overview: Yellw flag iris is a wet-fted iris, grwing in pnds, ditches, wetlands and ther riparian areas. It is a perennial frb which is native t Africa, Asia and Eurpe. It is an intrduced rnamental water garden plant. Habitat: Yellw flag iris thrives in temperate climates. It requires cntinuusly high sil-water cntent but des nt need t be submerged. It can grw in water up t 25 cm deep and can grw in full sun t partial shade. Reprductin: These fast spreading rhizmes ut-cmpete ther plants fr space, frming dense thickets f yellw flag iris. Dispersal: Seeds can flat and can be carried dwnstream. Seeds are als mved by water fwl t remte sites away frm the riginal infestatin. Rt fragments can als prduce new plants. Reginal Distributin: Limited distributin thrughut the regin: Crestn Valley Wildlife Management Area, Ktenay Lake, Nancy Greene Lake, Erie Lake, Meldeanna Lake, Arrw Lake, Nelway, and Pend D Oreille River. Prvincial Distributin: Fund thrughut suthern BC and is currently spreading in the suthern Interir. Identificatin 1,2,3,4 Flwers: Resemble cmmn garden iris with three large (dwnward facing) sepals and three smaller upward pinting petals. They are pale yellw in clur and are abut 8-10 cm in diameter. Blms frm May t July. Stem: Between cm tall and may be in bunches f ne t several. Leaves: Dark green in clur, cm lng, stiff erect swrd-shaped with a central ridge n bth the tp and underside f the leaf Prepared fr the BC Wildlife Federatin by

3 Seeds: Seed capsules lk like bunches f shrt green bananas and cntains arund 120 seeds. Seeds can flat n water. Similar Native Species Cattail (Typha latiflia) Bur-reed (Sparganium spp.) Impacts Eclgical: Yellw flag iris clnizes in large numbers, frming very dense stands. It utcmpetes ther plants, displacing native species and altering habitat. Studies in Mntana shw that yellw flag iris can reduce stream width by up t 10 inches per year by trapping sediment, creating a new bank and then dminating the new substrate with its seedlings, creating still mre sediment retentin 5. Scial: Yellw flag iris is generally unpalatable and is als pisnus t grazing animals. Cattle experience gastrenteritis and acute diarrhea after eating hay cntaining yellw flag iris. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) 6,7 IPM is a decisin making prcess that begins with the identificatin and inventry f invasive plant ppulatins, assessment f the risks that they pse, and develpment f well-infrmed management ptins frm mnitring t site treatment. Preventin and Early Detectin: Select a nn-invasive alternative, such as western blue iris (Iris missuriensis) instead f yellw flag iris fr yur restratin prject r water garden. Additinal ptins can be fund by dwnlading the Invasive Species Cuncil f BC s 2011 Grw Me Instead bklet frm: Invasive Species Cuncil f BC (ISCBC), 2012, Prepared fr the BC Wildlife Federatin by

4 Avid accidentally intrducing nn-native plants t surrunding water bdies by installing water gardens a safe distance away. Ensure water gardens are nt allwed t verflw t wetlands, streams r rivers. Prperly dispse f garden and yard waste by duble bagging and dispsing f it at yur lcal landfill. Prevent plants frm spreading frm existing ppulatins by washing vehicles, bts and animals that have been in infested areas. Reprt plants infestatins fund in remte lcatins t WEEDSBC r Mechanical Cntrl: Small infestatins f yellw flag iris can be cntrlled thrugh hand digging, but cautin must be exercised t ensure fragmentatin des nt ccur. Fragmented rhizmes can prduce new plants. Seed heads can als be cut and bagged t prevent seed prductin. Hand digging and dead heading will be required ver several years t ensure efficacy. Wear glves and lng sleeved shirts, as this plant can cause skin irritatin. Chemical Cntrl: Visit the Integrated Pest Management Prgram website at prir t cmpleting any chemical treatments. Bilgical Cntrl: N bilgical cntrl agents are currently available. Restratin Subsitutes Oregn Iris (Iris tenax) Japanese Water Iris (Iris laevigata) Japanese Iris (Iris ensata) Western Blue Iris (Iris missuriensis) Butter and Sugar Iris (Iris Butter and Sugar ) Legislatin and Regulatins There is a grwing netwrk f partnerships and cllabratins amng all levels f gvernment, industry, reginal invasive plant cmmittees, and cncerned individuals t address unwanted aquatic invasive plants. 8 In additin, there is numerus legislatin and regulatins that pertain t aquatic invasive plants. 8 Invasive Species Cuncil f BC (ISCBC), 2012 Prepared fr the BC Wildlife Federatin by

5 Federal: The Fisheries Act 9 specifies that it is an ffence t harmfully alter, disrupt, r destry fish habitat, including streamside vegetatin. It is als an ffence t mve r intrduce aquatic rganisms (including plants) t new habitats. The purpse f the Fisheries Act is t cnserve and prtect Canada`s fisheries resurces, including fish habitat. It applies t all Canadian fisheries waters, including ditches, channelized streams, creeks, rivers, marshes, lakes, estuaries, castal waters and marine ffshre areas. It als applies t seasnally wetted fish habitat such as shrelines, stream banks, fldplains and intermittent tributaries and privately wned land. It is an ffence t damage fish habitat r put harmful substances such as pesticides int water frequented by fish, including includes pesticide drift. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and Envirnment Canada administer this legislatin. The Migratry Birds Cnventin Act 10 prhibits the depsit f any substance harmful t migratry birds t any area frequented by migratry birds. This includes pesticides depsited n water and land. The Canadian Wildlife Service f Envirnment Canada administers this legislatin. Prvincial: In BC, invasive plant management n all lands (Crwn and nn-crwn) is regulated by the BC Weed Cntrl Act 11, and the management f specific Crwn lands is regulated by the Frest and Range Practices Act 12, the Cmmunity Charter 13, and the Integrated Pest Management Act 14. In additin, in BC the wnership f water is vested in the Crwn as stated in the Water Act 15, the primary prvincial statue regulating water resurces. Sectin 9 f the Water Act requires that a persn may nly make changes in and abut a stream under an Apprval; in accrdance with Part 7 f the Water Regulatin, including Ntificatin where required; r under a Water Licence r Order. Ntificatins are typically used fr wrks that d nt invlve any diversin f water, may be cmpleted within a shrt perid f time and will have minimal impact n the envirnment r third parties. Ntificatins are the respnsibility f the Envirnmental Stewardship Divisin f the Ministry f Frests, Lands and Natural Resurce Operatins. Cntact Frnt Cunter BC fr mre infrmatin at Prepared fr the BC Wildlife Federatin by

6 Useful Links Alberta Invasive Plant Cuncil: Central Ktenay Invasive Plant Cmmittee: E-Flra BC, Electrnic Atlas f the Plants f BC: Invasive Species Cuncil f BC: Ministry f Frests and Range Invasive Alien Plant Prgram: Ministry f Agriculture: Sciety fr Eclgical Restratin BC Chapter: Tipi Muntain Native Plants: Weeds BC: Prepared fr the BC Wildlife Federatin by