Mountain Bluet | Cariboo Regional District

Mountain Bluet

Centaurea montana

About the Plant

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

Herbaceous Perennial

Habitat & Impacts

Occasionally escapes from cultivation; open, disturbed areas in shrub-steppe, forests, and along roadsides.

Method of Spread

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

Isolated patches in the Canim Lake, Forest Grove, West Quesnel, and Red Bluff areas.

Management Options

Mechanical

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

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

None available, but can be affected by aphids, leafhoppers, rust, aster yellows, and stem rot.

CCCIPC Priority & Treatment Strategy

Not prioritized at this time (Fall 2010). CRD staff are treating all sites found.

Treatment Options

Local Level

Hand pulling small sites, herbicide for larger sites

Landscape Level

Herbicide.

Invasive species profile taken from the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Invasive Plant Committee Invasive Plant Regional Strategic Plan

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Invasive Plants Management
Suite D, 180 North Third Avenue, Williams Lake, BC V2G 2A4
Phone: 250-392-3351
Toll-Free: 1-800-665-1636
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