Province Considers Removing Milkweed, Adding Dog Strangling Vine to the Noxious Weeds List
By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com
On Friday, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food recommended that two minor changes be made to the Schedule of Noxious Weeds, R.R.O. 1990, Regulation 1096, under the Weed Control Act.
The proposal is to remove milkweed and add dog-strangling vine to the Noxious Weeds list.
On the ministry’s website the regulation proposal notice says that while the common milkweed is considered a noxious weed in Ontario, it also provides an important food source for the Monarch butterfly.
Considering when milkweed was first added to the list, there has since been “an expansion in the number of management options available” for farmers to deal with milkweed.
Adding Dog-strangling vine to the list, however, would be in the best interest of the Monarch butterfly populations, as it would provide weed inspectors with more options to deal with the invasive plant. The vine is considered a threat to Monarch larvae.
“Although the Monarch butterfly is attracted to the plant, any eggs laid will not survive. It is, therefore, considered a hazard to Monarch butterfly populations,” the notice said.
There is a 45-day public common period until April 14, 2014. Comments will be taken under consideration in the decision-making process. More information can be found here.