Hound's Tongue

Description

Hound's tongue is a biennial or short-lived perennial forb with a woody taproot. This species can grow to 1.2 m tall.

Type

Biennial to short-lived perennial

Habitat & Impacts

Hound's tongue prefers dry disturbed sites at low to medium elevations. Hound's tongue can establish in open grasslands to forests, particularly in areas with alkaline soils. Its barbed seeds readily stick to hair and fur, causing stress to animals and reducing hide values. The plant contains alkaloids that are toxic to livestock and can therefore reduce hay and forage quality.

Method of Spread

Hounds tongue reproduces exclusively by seed and plants can produce up to 4000 seeds per plant. Hound's tongue is a poor seed banking species and buried seeds rarely survive one year. Seeds on the soil surface may survive to three years. Seeds can be widely spread by animals as the hooked spines facilitating attachment to fur, feathers or clothing.

Location

Scattered hounds tongue sites are recorded for south-central areas of the region south of 100 Mile House, at Churn Creek, Dog Creek, and Stormy Road. This species may be more widely spread than reported as it may not be recorded by some agencies.

Mechanical

Hand pulling and Mowing hound's tongue prior to seed set can eliminate seed production and often kills the plant.

Chemical

Chemical control of Hound's tongue is effective. Picloram, dicamba, metsulfuron-methyl, or glyphosate are all effective for controlling Hound's tongue.

Biological

One biocontrol agent is currently available and other agents are being studied. The root-feeding weevil Mogulones cruciger has proven extremely effective at controlling hound's-tongue in the southern areas of the Province.

CCCIPC Priority & Treatment Strategy

Priority 1 (new invader) for all areas except the Central Coast where it is ranked as N/A (not ecologically suited to the area). Where Hound's tongue is ranked as a new invader all sites will be treated with the goal of elimination.

Local Level

Cutting small accessible infestations or chemical treatment.

Landscape Level

Biocontrol releases, and chemical treatment on localized areas such as private land.