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Field and furrow
By Randy Buhler Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, Logan County Agent (Agronomy) Last week our intrepid native plant educator, Bruce Bosley, spotted a yellow flowered plant along Highway 6. He called and reported the find as sulfur cinquefoil. I followed up on his call and confirmed the sulfur cinquefoil infestation. Eradication effort will follow at the location to remove this plant from Logan County. Imagine a plant with roots like a one-inch diameter elm tree attached to several stems about 18 inches tall. New stems replace these stems each year. This plant can last for 20 years or more. At the top of the stems are arranged several bright, sulfur-yellow flowers. Each flower has five heart-shaped petals. The leaves superficially resemble marijuana leaves. A single plant can produce 1600 seeds each year. Seeds are about 1 millimeter across and slightly oblong. The surface looks like a series of carved channels running in various directions. These seeds can survive for 3 to 4 years. The plant has significant tannin content. Livestock, other than goats, and wildlife leave the plant alone. It is competitive with native plants and pasture grasses. Sulfur cinquefoil does not do well under a forest canopy or on cultivated ground. Elsewhere, it is competitive with native plants and other invasive noxious weeds. Colorado lists sulfur cinquefoil as a List B noxious weed. Until last week, it was unknown in Logan County but is established in Larimer, Boulder, and Jefferson counties. Vigilance is part of the noxious weed control program. Identifying new and unusual plants is important to prevent the establishment of undesirable and harmful plants in our county. Should you happen to see such a plant please notify the Pest District at 522-3200, extension 284. An eradication effort will consist of digging up the visible plants this year. Yearly checks will be necessary for the next four years to insure the plant does not re-establish itself from seed. The sulfur cinquefoil is closely related to the Potentilla shrub many of you have planted in your yard. The flowers are very similar. Its leaves are quite different. Strawberries are another related plant. For those reasons, biological controls are not available for this noxious weed. Control is limited to hand pulling and herbicide application. Unless you plan to fully fund your local chiropractor's retirement, I would not recommend the pulling method. Using a shovel to dig out the plant and get its large roots is practical for a few plants. Failure to remove the crown results in the plant growing back. Tordon and 2,4-D are the recommended herbicides for control. Application needs to occur before the plants send up their stems and produce flowers. Repeat applications are necessary to prevent new seedlings from growing. Date: 7/5/07
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