Weeds & Pests

The Alberta Weed Control Act requires landowners to control weeds on their property and sets out rules for how specific weeds must be dealt with. This means that landowners are required by law to control the weeds on their property.

The list of regulated species under Alberta’s Weed Control Regulation has been updated for the first time since 2010, reflecting changes on how invasive plants are distributed across the province and how effectively they can be managed.
The updated regulation includes several key changes:

  • 17 new species added as Prohibited Noxious weeds
  • 5 new species added as Noxious weeds
  • 12 species reclassified from Prohibited Noxious to Noxious
  • 2 species removed from regulation: creeping bellflower and perennial sowthistle

    These updates ensure that regulatory efforts remain focused where they are most effective.

Weed Inspectors

Our Weed Inspectors travel around the County and visit with residents. When they see a problem weed, they will talk to the landowner or leave a business card to discuss dealing with the weed problem.

Problem Weeds in Vulcan County

The following weeds are increasing in prevalence within our county and are our main priority for control:

  • Canada Thistle
  • Kochia
  • Yellow Toadflax
  • Leafy Spurge
  • Scentless Chamomile
  • Perennial Sow Thistle
  • Russian Knapweed
  • Absinth Wormwood
  • Baby’s Breath

Noxious Weeds

  • Baby’s-Breath, common
  • Bellflower, creeping
  • Bindweed, field
  • Blueweed
  • Brome, downy
  • Brome, japanese
  • Burdock, great
  • Burdock, lesser
  • Burdock, woolly
  • Buttercup, tall
  • Chamomile, scentless
  • Clematis, yellow
  • Cockle, white
  • Daisy, oxeye
  • Dame’s rocket
  • Henbane, black.
  • Hoary cress, globe-podded
  • Hound’s-tongue
  • Mullein, common
  • Pepper-grass, broad-leaved
  • Scabious, field
  • Sow Thistle, perennial
  • Spurge, Leafy
  • Tansy, common
  • Thistle, Canada
  • Toadflax, dalmatian
  • Toadflax, yellow

Prohibited Noxious Weeds

Weeds that are in this category (regardless of the size of the infestation) must be controlled immediately as stated in the Alberta Weed Control Act.  The weeds in this category are considered rare in Vulcan County which is why they are of high importance to control so they do not get established in our area.  Listed below is the list of prohibited noxious weeds.

  • Autumn Olive
  • Balsam, Himalayan
  • Barberry, Common
  • Bartsia, Red
  • Buckthorn, Common
  • Cinquefoil, Sulphur
  • Crupina, Common
  • Dyer’s Woad
  • Eurasian Water Milfoil
  • Flowering Rush
  • Garlic Mustard
  • Goatgrass, Jointed
  • Hawkweed, Meadow
  • Hawkweed, Mouse-ear
  • Hawkweed, Orange.
  • Hoary Alyssum
  • Hogweed, Giant
  • Iris, pale yellow
  • Knapweed, Bighead
  • Knapweed, Black
  • Knapweed, Brown
  • Knapweed, Diffuse
  • Knapweed, Hybrid
  • Knapweed, Meadow
  • Knapweed, Russian
  • Knapweed, Spotted
  • Knapweed, Squarrose
  • Knapweed, Tyrol
  • Knotweed, Giant
  • Knotweed, Hybrid Japanese
  • Knotweed, Japanese 
  • Loosestrife, Purple
  • Medusahead 
  • Nutsedge, Yellow
  • Puncturevine
  • Ragwort, Tansy
  • Rush Skeletonweed
  • Saltcedar
  • Saltlover
  • St John’s-wort, Common
  • Starthistle, Yellow.
  • Thistle, Marsh
  • Thistle, Nodding
  • Thistle, Plumeless

For a fact sheet including pictures, please visit the Alberta Invasive Species – Invasive Plants webpage.  

Reporting Invasive Species

See something? Say something!

Help protect Vulcan County’s landscapes by reporting invasive species with the FREE EDDMaps app—any time of year!

Report and map invasive or concerning weeds and pests anywhere in North America. Every report is reviewed by a professional and added to a distribution map, helping experts track the spread of invasive species and support management efforts.

Click here to report on EDDMaps.

If you spot an invasive species on public or County-owned land, please also report it to Vulcan County Agricultural Fieldman.

For more information on weeds in Vulcan County or to
inquire about weed spraying services, contact (403) 485-3103.