How to Remove Thoroughwort (Ageratina adenophora)
Michael J. Vandeman, Ph.D.
https://mjvande.info/thoroughwort.htm
May 24, 2020
This must be the most energy-efficient habitat restoration that there is! This plant is very easy to remove in just seconds. (Of course, do this preferably before the plants produce flowers.)
It grows in clumps with very weak stems and roots. Grab all the stems in a clump. Plant your feet on each side of the clump and pull the plants out of the ground, preferably in the uphill direction, being careful not to overstrain your back. If they budge, you will be able to pull the entire clump out of the ground and throw it where it can’t grow. If they don’t budge, try grabbing a smaller subset of the stems. If they still won’t budge, cut them all close to the ground with your pruning saw. If you don’t have a saw handy, you can grab a bunch of stems and break them all by bending them – they are very brittle.
References:
Calflora: http://www.calflora.org/
California Invasive Plant Council: http://www.cal-ipc.org/
Weed Photo Gallery http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/weeds_intro.html