Ministry of Agriculture
B.C. Weed Control Act
Noxious Weeds in B.C.
Updated August 8, 2011
Noxious weeds are typically non-native plants that have been introduced to British Columbia without the insect predators and plant pathogens that help keep them in check in their native habitats. For this reason and because of their aggressive growth, these alien plants can be highly destructive, competitive and difficult to control.
The B.C. Weed Control Act imposes a duty on all land occupiers to control designated noxious plants.
The purpose for the Act is to protect our natural resources and industry from the negative impacts of foreign weeds.
The following weeds are classified as noxious within all regions of British Columbia:
- Annual Sowthistle (Sonchus oleraceus)
- Bohemian Knotweed (Fallopia x bohemica)
- Bur Chervil (Anthriscus caucalis)
- Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense)
- Common Reed (Phragmites australis subsp. australis)
- Crupina (Crupina vulgaris)
- Dalmatian Toadflax (Linaria dalmatica)
- Dense-flowered Cordgrass (Spartina densiflora)
- Diffuse Knapweed (Centaurea diffusa)
- Dodder (Cuscuta spp.)
- English Cordgrass (Spartina anglica)
- Flowering Rush (Butomus umbellatus)
- Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
- Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum)
- Giant Knotweed (Fallopia sachalinensis)
- Giant Mannagrass / Reed Sweetgrass (Glyceria maxima)
- Gorse (Ulex europaeus)
- Himilayan Knotweed (Polygonum polystachyum)
- Hound's-tongue (Cynoglossum officinale)
- Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica)
- Jointed Goatgrass (Aegilops cylindrica)
- Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia esula)
- Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum)
- North Africa Grass (Ventenata dubia)
- Perennial Sowthistle (Sonchus arvensis)
- Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
- Purple Nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus)
- Rush Skeletonweed (Chondrilla juncea)
- Saltmeadow Cordgrass (Spartina patens)
- Scentless Chamomile (Matricaria maritima)
- Smooth Cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora)
- Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea maculosa)
- Tansy Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)
- Velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti)
- Wild Oats (Avena fatua)
- Yellow Flag Iris (Iris pseudacorus)
- Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus)
- Yellow Starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis)
- Yellow Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris)
The following weeds are classified as noxious within the boundaries of the corresponding regional districts:
| Blueweed | Echium vulgare | Cariboo, Central Kootenay, Columbia-Shuswap, East Kootenay, Okanagan-Similkameen, Thompson-Nicola |
| Burdock | Arctium spp. | Bulkley-Nechako, Cariboo, Columbia-Shuswap, Fraser-Fort George, Kitimat-Stikine, North Okanagan, Okanagan-Similkameen, Peace River, Thompson-Nicola |
| Cleavers | Galium aparine | Peace River |
| Common Bugloss | Anchusa officinalis | Kootenay-Boundary |
| Common Tansy | Tanacetum vulgare | Bulkley-Nechako, Central Kootenay, Columbia-Shuswap, East Kootenay, North Okanagan |
| Field Scabious | Knautia arvensis | Bulkley-Nechako, Kootenay-Boundary, Thompson-Nicola |
| Green Foxtail | Setaria viridis | Peace River |
| Hoary Alyssum | Berteroa incana | Kootenay-Boundary |
| Hoary Cress | Cardaria spp. | Columbia-Shuswap, North Okanagan, Thompson-Nicola |
| Kochia | Kochia scoparia | Peace River |
| Marsh Plume Thistle | Cirsium palustre | Bulkley-Nechako, Fraser-Fort George |
| Meadow Knapweed | Centaurea pratensis | Columbia-Shuswap |
| Night-Flowering Catchfly | Silene noctiflora | Peace River |
| Orange Hawkweed | Hieracium aurantiacum | Bulkley-Nechako, Cariboo, Central Kootenay, Columbia-Shuswap, East Kootenay, Thompson-Nicola |
| Oxeye Daisy | Chrysanthemum leucanthemum | Cariboo, North Okanagan, Peace River, Thompson-Nicola |
| Perennial Pepperweed | Lepidium latifolium | East Kootenay, Thompson-Nicola |
| Plumeless Thistle | Carduus acanthoides | Central Kootenay |
| Puncturevine | Tribulus terrestris | Okanagan-Similkameen |
| Purple Loosestrife | Lythrum salicaria | Comox-Strathcona (by regional district bylaw) |
| Quackgrass | Agropyron repens | Peace River |
| Russian Knapweed | Acroptilon repens | North Okanagan |
| Russian Thistle | Salsola kali | Peace River |
| Scotch Thistle | Onopordum acanthium | North Okanagan |
| Sulphur Cinquefoil | Potentilla recta | Columbia-Shuswap, North-Okanagan, Okanagan-Similkameen, Thompson-Nicola |
| Tartary Buckwheat | Fagopyrum tataricum | Peace River |
| White Cockle | Lychnis alba | Peace River |
| Wild Chervil | Anthriscus sylvestris | Fraser Valley |
| Wild Mustard | Sinapsis arvensis | Peace River |
More Information on Noxious Weeds
