Photo: Cheatgrass in August in southwest Montana. © 2020 Delena Norris-Tull
What is a Weed?
Summary and commentary by Dr. Delena Norris-Tull, July 2020.
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” – William Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet)
For many decades, plants that create problems for agricultural production have been commonly referred to with the pejorative term “weeds.” And, as I quickly discovered when I began interviewing representatives from various State Agencies tasked with management of invasive species, these professionals typically have titles such as “weed and pest coordinator.” And university biologists engaged in conducting research on invasive plants are commonly called “weed scientists.”
While one of my favorite botany field guides is titled Weeds of the West, the term has such a derogatory connotation, that I hesitate to use the term in reference to plants, many of which were brought to the U.S. on purpose, and many of which have only recently been relegated to the dismissive status of “weeds.”
The term “invasive species” is generally used to refer to “alien species that did not originate in the U.S. or its territories” that have had negative “environmental impacts and economic costs” (Pimentel, Zuniga, & Morrison, 2004). However, over time, the term has been broadened by some State or County Agencies to refer to any species, including native species, that have expanded their range into less preferred locations.
Jim Pike, NRCS District Conservationist at the Cheyenne, Wyoming Field Office, provided me with what may be the most honest definition: “A weed is just a plant out of place.”
References:
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Summary and commentary by Dr. Delena Norris-Tull, July 2020.
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” – William Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet)
For many decades, plants that create problems for agricultural production have been commonly referred to with the pejorative term “weeds.” And, as I quickly discovered when I began interviewing representatives from various State Agencies tasked with management of invasive species, these professionals typically have titles such as “weed and pest coordinator.” And university biologists engaged in conducting research on invasive plants are commonly called “weed scientists.”
While one of my favorite botany field guides is titled Weeds of the West, the term has such a derogatory connotation, that I hesitate to use the term in reference to plants, many of which were brought to the U.S. on purpose, and many of which have only recently been relegated to the dismissive status of “weeds.”
The term “invasive species” is generally used to refer to “alien species that did not originate in the U.S. or its territories” that have had negative “environmental impacts and economic costs” (Pimentel, Zuniga, & Morrison, 2004). However, over time, the term has been broadened by some State or County Agencies to refer to any species, including native species, that have expanded their range into less preferred locations.
Jim Pike, NRCS District Conservationist at the Cheyenne, Wyoming Field Office, provided me with what may be the most honest definition: “A weed is just a plant out of place.”
References:
- Pimental, D., Zuniga, R. & Morrison, D. (December, 2004). Update on the environmental and economic costs associated with alien-invasive species in the United States. Ecological Economics: 52 (2005), 273– 288.
- Western Society of Weed Science. (2002). Weeds of the West, 9th Edition. Newark, CA: Western Society of Weed Science & University of Wyoming.
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