SHINY GERANIUM; small…but not cute!

The image of reddish stems dotted by small pink flowers makes the low-growing Shiny Geranium look attractive. It is however a weed that is considered noxious and is seriously unwelcomed in urban and rural household gardens and forests.  Why?  Because it thrives anywhere it can get started and will quickly crowd out natural and desired vegetation. One Shiny Geranium plant becomes many as its seeds are forcefully ejected when ripe, giving this annual weed an ability to move up hill and even into crevices of tree trunks and buildings.  Once on the loose, its seeds may also hitch a ride on vehicle tires and people’s footwear to spread even further.  Don’t mistake the ‘Herb Robert’ with similar flowers, or the ‘Dovesfoot Geranium’ with similar-looking leaves, for the Shiny Geranium. 

Refer to https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weeds/shiny-geranium or call the Lewis County Noxious Weed Control Board at 360-740-1215 for more information and learn how to identify and help eradicate the very UN-neighborly Shiny Geranium.