>>Pestilential species which cause problem here are introduced, and here
>>are my top five vote-getters:
>>
>>1. Scotch Broom. We all know about this. In western Oregon, it has
>> made a major move the past few years into the lower cascades, in
>> clearcuts. I was amazed last spring by vast vistas of yellow over
>> the Santiam Pass - for a long time, the broom was largely limited
>> to the coast and Willamette Valley. This may be due to the
>> relatively dry and warm winters we've seen for the past few years.

Excuse my ignorance--I'm new to the upper northwest corner--but tell me
about Scotch broom. What's wrong with it?

I thought it was lovely last summer (my first here) and it appears to be an
ornamental inside some city limits. Has it escaped the plantings and
invaded native areas? If so, what is its impact?

Portia McCracken
Whidbey Island, WA
portia at whidbey.net