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Legislation
The current Weed Control Act was proclaimed in 2010. Plants listed in the accompanying Weed Control Regulation are a threat to the province’s environment, economy and society.
Act
The Alberta Weed Control Act enables the Minister’s authority to declare noxious or prohibited noxious weeds that present significant economic, social or ecological risks. The Act states that prohibited noxious weeds must be destroyed and noxious weeds must be controlled. It describes the duties of individuals, local authorities, municipalities and the Crown related to the prevention, control and destruction of weeds.
Regulation
The Weed Control Regulation includes a schedule of declared noxious and prohibited noxious weeds. It also describes seed cleaning facility licensing procedures and the requirements of the appeal process for notices.
Provincially regulated weeds
View or download fact sheets for prohibited noxious and noxious weeds legislated under the Weed Control Act.
Prohibited noxious weeds
Under the Weed Control Act prohibited noxious weeds must be destroyed.
The following plants are designated as prohibited noxious weeds; this includes the plant’s seeds. Prohibited noxious weeds pose a serious threat as they spread rapidly and are highly competitive. This weed designation is a regulatory support for an ‘Early Detection, Rapid Response’ stage of invasive plant management.
Plants in this category are either not currently found in Alberta, or are found in few locations such that eradication could be possible.
- Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata)
- Bighead knapweed (Centaurea macrocephala)
- Black knapweed (Centaurea nigra)
- Brown knapweed (Centaurea jacea)
- Common barberry (Berberis vulgaris)
- Common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)
- Common crupina (Crupina vulgaris)
- Common St John's-wort (Hypericum perforatum)
- Diffuse knapweed (Centaurea diffusa)
- Dyer's woad (Isatis tinctoria)
- Eurasian water milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum)
- Flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus)
- Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
- Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum)
- Giant knotweed (Fallopia sachalinensis)
- Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera)
- Hoary alyssum (Berteroa incana)
- Hybrid Japanese knotweed (Fallopia × bohemica)
- Hybrid knapweed (Centaurea × psammogena)
- Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica)
- Jointed goatgrass (Aegilops cylindrica)
- Marsh thistle (Cirsium palustre)
- Meadow hawkweed (Hieracium caespitosum)
- Meadow knapweed (Centaurea × moncktonii)
- Medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusa)
- Mouse-ear Hawkweed (Hieracium pilosella)
- Nodding thistle (Carduus nutans)
- Orange hawkweed (Hieracium aurantiacum)
- Pale yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus)
- Plumeless thistle (Carduus acanthoides)
- Puncturevine (Tribulus terrestris)
- Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
- Red bartsia (Odontites vernus)
- Rush skeletonweed (Chondrilla juncea)
- Russian knapweed (Rhaponticum repens)
- Salt cedar (Tamarix ramosissima) Chinese tamarisk (Tamarix chinensis) Smallflower tamarisk (Tamarix parviflora)
- Saltlover (Halogeton glomeratus)
- Spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe ssp. micranthos)
- Squarrose knapweed (Centaurea virgata ssp. Squarrosa)
- Sulphur cinquefoil (Potentilla recta)
- Tansy ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris/Senecio Jacobaea)
- Tyrol knapweed (Centaurea nigrescens)
- Yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus)
- Yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis)
See all Prohibited noxious weed factsheets.
Noxious weeds
Under the Weed Control Act noxious weeds must be controlled.
The following plants are designated as noxious weeds; this includes the plant’s seeds. Noxious weeds have the ability to spread rapidly, cause severe crop losses and economic hardship.
This weed designation is a regulatory support for a containment stage of invasive plant management. A local authority may conduct control programs for these weeds if they feel they may have significant ecological or economic impact on lands within their municipality.
Plants in this category are widely distributed in Alberta.
- Black henbane (Hyoscyamus niger)
- Blueweed (Echium vulgare)
- Broad-leaved Pepper-grass (Lepidium latifolium)
- Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense)
- Common baby’s-breath (Gypsophila paniculata)
- Common mullein (Verbascum thapsus)
- Common tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)
- Creeping bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides)
- Dalmatian toadflax (Linaria dalmatica)
- Dame's rocket (Hesperis matronalis)
- Downy brome (Bromus tectorum)
- Field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis)
- Field scabious (Knautia arvensis)
- Glove-podded hoary cress (Lepidium appelianum)
- Great burdock (Arctium lappa)
- Heart-podded hoary cress (Lepidium draba)
- Hound's-tongue (Cynoglossum officinale)
- Japanese brome (Bromus japonicus)
- Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula)
- Lens-podded hoary cress (Lepidium chalepense)
- Lesser burdock (Arctium minus)
- Ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)
- Perennial sow-thistle (Sonchus arvensis)
- Scentless chamomile (Tripleurospermum inodorum)
- Tall buttercup (Ranunculus acris)
- White cockle (Silene latifolia ssp. alba)
- Woolly burdock (Arctium tomentosum)
- Yellow clematis (Clematis tangutica)
- Yellow toadflax (Linaria vulgaris)
See all Noxious weed factsheets.
Contact 310-FARM
Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Toll free: 310-FARM (3276) (in Alberta)
Phone: 403-742-7901 (outside Alberta)
Email: [email protected]