Invasive Plants Booklet [PDF - 6.1 MB]

Information for Saanich residents to identify and control invasive plants on private lands.  Featured: Scotch Broom, English Holly, English Ivy, Himalayan Blackberry, Daphne, English Hawthorne and more.

Asian Giant Hornet - new priority invader found in 2019

• A very large invasive ground-nesting hornet newly identified in BC

Blessed Milk Thistle Alert Sheet [PDF - 250 KB]

• Silybum marianum
• Management status:  Eradicate
• Tall thistle with white marbled green leaves and spiny bracts on flower-head.

European Fire Ants [PDF - 764 KB]

• Myrmica rubra
• Aggressive Invader
• Small red ant that swarms and stings. Factsheet from the Province of B.C.

Garlic Mustard Alert Sheet [PDF - 1.9 MB]

• Alliaria petiolata
• Management status:  Eradicate
• Heart-shaped to triangular leaves, small, white 4-petal flowers and garlic odour when crushed.

Giant Hogweed Alert Sheet [PDF - 256 KB]

• Heracleum mantegazzianum
• Management status:  Eradicate
• Very large (up to 6 m) plant with sharply incised leaves, spotted stems and umbrella-shaped flower head.
• PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD:  see alert sheet.

Gorse [PDF - 3 MB]

• Ulex europaeus
• Management status: Contain
• Spiny evergreen shrub with yellow pea-like flowers developing into black, hairy seedpods.

Invasive Knotweeds Alert Sheet [PDF - 1.7 MB]

• Fallopia/Polygonum spp
• Management status:  Eradicate
• Bamboo-like, speckled hollow stems, late flowering white/green clusters, vigorous rhizomes.

Lesser Celandine Alert Sheet [PDF - 1.2 MB]

• Ranunculus ficaria
• Management status: Eradicate
• Low growing, yellow-flowering perennial from the buttercup family.

Poison Hemlock Alert Sheet [PDF - 188 KB]

• Conium maculatum
• Management status:  Contain carrot-like leaves, hollow purple-blotched stems, small white flowers.
• PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD:  see alert sheet.

Policeman’s Helmet Alert Sheet [PDF - 185 KB]

• Impatiens glandulifera
• Management status:  Eradicate
• Annual plant 2 – 3 m tall with reddish, hollow stems and pink/purple flowers.

Purple Loosestrife Alert Sheet [PDF - 295 KB]

• Lythrum salicaria
• Management status:  Contain
• Perennial plant up to 2 m tall with pink/purple flower spikes (June to September).

Shiny Geranium

Shiny Geranium Alert Sheet [PDF - 405 KB] (BC)

Shiny Geranium Alert Sheet [PDF - 2 MB] (CRD)

• Geranium lucidum
• Management status:  Eradicate
• Low growing annual to biennial with 5 petaled, pink flowers. Report sightings to the province.

Yellow Flag Iris Alert Sheet [PDF - 137 KB]

• Iris pseudacorus
• Management status: Contain
• Long, sword shaped iris leaves and yellow flowers with 3 petals facing up and 3 facing down.