Ask Steward

Dear Steward,

I am new to Montana and am shocked at the variety of plants on my property. I need a resource to help me identify which ones are weeds and which ones are good. What resources are available for plant identification?

– Weeding the Bad Ones

Dear Weeding,

There are numerous resources available to help identify plants on your property and to determine which ones are weeds. Montana State University Extension offers several, including:

• Montana State University Extension MontGuides, published by Montana State University (MSU) Extension; available at http://store.msuextension.org/, using keyword “weeds.”
  
  
• Weeds of the West. Published by the Western Society of Weed Science; available for purchase at Montana State University Extension Publications (http://store.msuextension.org/).

• Montana’s Noxious Weeds (EB0159A): Published by MSU Extension; available for purchase at http://store.msuextension.org/.

• Range Plants of Montana (EB0122): Published by MSU Extension; available for purchase at http://store.msuextension.org/.

• Schutter Diagnostic Laboratory. Located on campus at MSU; staff is available to assist with plant identification; http://diagnostics.montana.edu.

• MSU Extension Invasive Weeds website: http://www.msuinvasiveplants.org.

These first four are also available through your local MSU County or Reservation Extension office.

Additional resources that may be benefical are:

• Plants of the Rocky Mountains. Published by Lone Pine Publishing; found on Amazon or local bookstores; a great resource with pictures for identifying grasses, forbs, trees, shrubs, etc.

• Montana Grasses App: Published by High Country Apps; includes over 100 grass and grass-like plants found in Montana and nearby states; available for purchase at Amazon, Apple, and Google app stores.

• Montana Weed Control Association website: http://mtweed.org/weeds/.

Local personnel exist for assistance with plant identification and developing weed management strategies. A list of local County Weed Coordinators can be found at http://mtweed.org/find-weed-coordinator/ and county and reservation MSU Extension office information can be found at www.msuextension.org/localoffices.cfm.

Have a question for Ask Steward? Please send it to bssa@montana.edu or bigskysmallacres@montana.edu.