Purple Loosestrife is an invasive plant and classified as a noxious weed in Colorado which some people treat as an ornamental and plant in their flower gardens.
The annual Fremont County Weed Tour coming up on June 6th will focus this year on invasive weeds that urban residents may be cultivating in their own backyards. Fremont County Weed Management Director Jana Gregg has announced that the 2013 Fremont Urban Weed Tour will originate at the Cañon City Recreation and Park District Community Room at 575 Ash Street in Cañon City. It will run from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Thursday, June 6th.
Gregg said the event will begin with a walking tour for about a one mile distance on the Arkansas Riverwalk where participants will get a firsthand look at many of the common weeds found in back yards in the urban areas of eastern Fremont County. Gregg says in many cases residents may be cultivating and nurturing the invasive noxious weeds as flowers. Control methods for the various invasive weed species will also be discussed and your questions will be answered. Weed tour participants should bring along some water and their walking shoes.
The tour group will return to the Rec District Offices for lunch at 11:30 which will be provided by the Fremont Conservation District and prepared by Fremont County 4-H clubs. Following lunch the participants will be encouraged to meet at Brady’s Nursery at 1121 South 9th in Cañon City where Dean Brady will discuss some potential lookalike plants that you can use to replace the invasive plants.
If you would like to attend the Urban Weed Tour you should RSVP no later than Thursday, May 30th, by calling 276-7317.
Other participants in the 2013 Fremont Urban Weed Tour include the Fremont County Weed Advisory Committee, the Cañon City Recreation District, the Bureau of Land Management, CSU Cooperative Extension, Fremont Conservation District, and the Natural Resource Conservation Service.