Shoreline grounds maintenance staff to remove Poisonous Hemlock and Shiny Geranium from city parks and property

Poison Hemlock plant. Photo by John Brown.
King County

It’s time again for City staff, led by Grounds Maintenance, to treat noxious weeds like Poison Hemlock and Shiny Geranium. This week, crews will place application signage and begin treatments as the weather permits over the next few weeks.

The City’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) policy requires a minimum of 24 hours of dry weather after any application. We have eleven locations of Poison Hemlock and two locations of Shiny Geranium approved for treatment at this time. As we investigate more reports there may be additional treatment areas. Most treatments are in the City’s right-of-way.

Given the number of sites, treatments could be spread out over several weeks to fit within weather windows. Posted application areas will be marked by a 24” x 18” sign and pink flags. The pink flags will be replaced with blue flags featuring a city logo once we have completed treatment. This is to help clarify whether an area has been completed or is still awaiting treatment.

You can find more information about noxious weeds, stinging insects, and chemical control authorization on our Grounds Maintenance webpage.

Areas of removal:

•     Richmond Beach Saltwater Park – multiple locations throughout the park
•     James Keough Park – multiple locations throughout the park
•     Richmond Beach Dr at NW 204th St
•     Richmond Beach Dr and 27th Dr NW north and south of NW 195th Ct (Poison Hemlock and Shiny Geranium)
•     15th Ave NW from 175th NW to 14th Ave NW
•     NW 190th St and 15th Ave NW
•     16935 14th Ave NW
•     NW Innis Arden Way – west of Shoreview Park entrance
•     Dale Turner YMCA – drainage ditch behind YMCA
•     Interurban Trail – behind 17038 Aurora Ave N
•     Carlyle Hall RD between Dayton Ave and Greenwood Ave (Poison Hemlock and Shiny Geranium)

Identifying poison-hemlock

Visit King County Noxious Weed Control’s webpage on poison-hemlock identification to see photos and get more information. You can also read the poison hemlock fact sheet produced by the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board.

What to do if you find poison-hemlock

If you see poison-hemlock on City property, please use the Report a Noxious Weed form to report it to King County Noxious Weed Control.

If you see poison-hemlock on your own property and you would like help creating a weed management plan, email noxious.weeds@kingcounty.gov or call 206-477-9333.

If you plan to remove it yourself, always wear gloves and long sleeves. Take frequent breaks when working on removal. Dig it up or pull and discard in the trash (not in your green compost bin).