READER REPORT: The case of the vanishing Scotch broom

Thanks to Tom Erler for the photo and report!

In case you were wondering where all the Scotch broom around our end was slowly disappearing to, while also shedding some light on the massive effort and labors of love stewards & volunteers have engaged in this season.

Joe Neumann, former Noxious Weeds Employee & current King County volunteer & Westcrest Park Forest Steward, has almost single-handedly removed all public occurrences of Scotch (Scot’s) broom, or Cystus scoparius, in Southern West Seattle/White Center over the past 2 years, with the last piece of the puzzle, White Center Pond, completed yesterday!

Here’s where we began the work yesterday (North side of the pond) with a typically sized specimen of the ones we were managing. With specimens this size (2″ diameter), it is most effective to cut at the base during times of drought, which is usually in the summer months. Yesterday proved perfect with the soil drying out from recent record temps and allowing us to cut them down before their seed pods were able to mature & redistribute!

Here’s the King County Integrated Pest Management resource for Scotch broom removal, in case readers are interested.


You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

4 Responses to “READER REPORT: The case of the vanishing Scotch broom”

  1. Thanks,Joe Neumann!

  2. I noticed some Scotch Broom while walking between yard sales on Saturday. I think it was near 22nd and Henderson Street/Barton Place.

  3. Ron Johnson Says:

    Thank you Joe. It is always good to see noxious weeds disappear. Hopefully others will follow your lead and continue to improve the community.

  4. Joe Neumann Says:

    Thank you for the appreciation! I should clarify: I got all the Scotch broom off of a swath of public(mostly parks) land in White Center/southern West Seattle.

    I encourage everyone to join in and make sure your property is weed free and join a volunteer event in your neighborhood!