Centaurea montana
About the Plant
Description |
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Mountain Bluet is native to Europe and was brought to North America as an ornamental. It has blue lace-cap flowers with rose anthers at the ends of the stems and grayish-green wooly foliage. Also known as Perennial Coneflower and Bachelor's Button. Adaptable to both dry or moist soils, it is considered to be drought tolerant. Grows at a fast rate and a single plant can live for up to 15 years. |
Type |
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Herbaceous Perennial |
Habitat & Impacts |
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Occasionally escapes from cultivation; open, disturbed areas in shrub-steppe, forests, and along roadsides. |
Method of Spread |
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Flowers contain both male and female organs, it is therefore self-pollinating. This plant is a self-seeder and spreads by underground stolons as well. |
Location |
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Isolated patches in the Canim Lake, Forest Grove, West Quesnel, and Red Bluff areas. |
Management Options
Mechanical |
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Small infestations can be hand pulled or dug-out when plants are young; making sure the whole root is removed as new seedlings can regenerate from root fragments. |
Chemical |
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Picloram, 2, 4-D, Glyphosate, Aminopyralid, and Clopyralid can all be used based on label requirements. Chemical treatments are most effective when plants are still actively growing (before flowering). |
Biological |
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None available, but can be affected by aphids, leafhoppers, rust, aster yellows, and stem rot. |
CCCIPC Priority & Treatment Strategy |
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Not prioritized at this time (Fall 2010). CRD staff are treating all sites found. |
Treatment Options
Local Level |
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Hand pulling small sites, herbicide for larger sites |
Landscape Level |
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Herbicide. |
Invasive species profile taken from the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Invasive Plant Committee Invasive Plant Regional Strategic Plan