Please note, the enforcement program for invasive weeds operates between April 1 through to September 30.
What is an invasive weed?
Invasive weeds are outdoor plants that have been introduced from another region or country. Typically, these plants grow and multiply quickly and pose negative impacts on humans, animals, livestock, agriculture/horticultural crops and natural ecosystems.
RDCO Bylaw
Noxious Weed Control | Bylaw No. 1544 requires property owners within Electoral Areas East and West, the City of Kelowna, District of Lake Country and District of Peachland to prevent the growth of noxious weeds and tall grasses and to provide for the cutting or destruction of noxious weeds and tall grasses. The City of West Kelowna enforces their own Noxious Weed bylaw (See West Kelowna bylaw compliance page).
General requirements:
- Invasive weeds and grasses must be kept under 8 inches (20.32 cm) in height.
- Invasive weeds and grasses must be cut down and mulched, or otherwise destroyed and removed.
- This bylaw's enforcement period is April 1 and September 30.
You must provide your name, address and phone number and the civic address of the property that is of concern. Anonymous complaints cannot be accepted. Please submit your complaint online or contact us to submit a complaint by phone or email.
Complaints not governed by the RDCO
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City of West Kelowna - Bylaw Compliance or call 778-797-8810
- Boulevards, roadsides and obscured visibility site lines
- Call the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (Okanagan Shuswap District) at 250-712-3660
- City of Kelowna Boulevard or Site Line
- District of Lake Country
- District of Peachland
Species of concern
| Tree of Heaven |
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In March 2024, the Regional Board added Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) to the Noxious Weed Control Bylaw. It is the preferred host for an invasive pest, spotted lanternfly, that has not yet arrived in BC. The Tree of Heaven is a rapidly growing deciduous plant native to China and Taiwan. It produces by seed and by division and can sprout almost anywhere, tolerant to a wide range of environmental conditions. It is foul-smelling and tends to crowd out other plants.
The Invasive Species Council of BC provides additional information and best management practices in their Tree of Heaven factsheet. |
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Weeds of concern |
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Common bugloss - can produce more than 900 seeds for each plant! Help get rid of Common bugloss before its deep purple to blue flowers turn to seed. See more at the Invasive Species Council website.
Common mullein or Great mullein - loves the sun and can stretch over two metres tall! You might find it growing in fields, along roadsides, even gravel pit areas. The OASISS website has great details and photos.
Puncturevine - an insidious ground spreader that forms dense mats. Rubber tires, leather and skin can easily be punctured by its sharp, sometimes curving spines. Here's more from the OASISS website.
Wild mustard - is often seen growing wild in fields or grasslands. Its bright yellow flowers grow on thick stalks of up to one metre tall with stiff hairs near the base of the stem. See a photo and description on pg. 71 of the BC Field Guide.
Western goatsbeard - also known as salsify, this is a tap-rooted biennial that also grows up to one metre, with long grass-like leaves and a stem that contains a milky juice. Its yellow flower turns into a large sized 'snowball' of bad seeds. Special thanks to the OASISS website for help identifying this invasive.
Find more invasive weeds in the Field guide to noxious weeds and other selected invasive plants of British Columbia
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