Plant Identification and Control

There is a virtual sea of resources to help you to identify invasive plants, as well as an ocean of research, resources, publications and advice on how to get rid of them. This page is intended to help a range of people: from those just learning about invasive plants to botanists and other land managers who want more detailed information on the taxonomy of the weeds they work with. A major aspect of weed work in California is VOLUNTEER HELP!! Look here and on our volunteer coordination page for resources to help you to train your invaluable volunteer crew in plant identification and control.

• Take me to Plant Control

Know what you're looking at: Plant identification resources

1. Weeds in dirt: Terrestrial invasive plant identification (click here to see weeds in water: Aquatic invasive plant identification)
• WEBSITE: The Weed Research and Information Center (WRIC) from UC Cooperative Extension. Search a variety of identification resources. Also a great control resource.
• WEBSITE: The Weed Photo Gallery from UC Integrated Pest Management. Species photographs, descriptions, and even drawings.
• WEBSITE: Encycloweedia from the California Department of Food an Agriculture. Identification (and control!) of the plants considered noxious by the state of CA.
• WEBSITE: The Jepson Online Interchange. Search this database for plant photos, descriptions, and herbarium records in California.
• WEBSITE: Calflora. Requires a FREE membership to access plant profiles and herbarium records in California.
• WEBSITE: NatureServe Explorer. Search by species to find species distribution, life history, economic attributes, management summaries and more for native, non-native and invasive species.
• WEBSITE: UC Davis Ag and Natural Resources Department plant photo gallery
• WEBSITE: Weed Science Society of America photo gallery. Focuses on crop and some wildland weeds, provides photos of plants at different life stages.
• BOOK: Weeds of California and other Western States
• BOOK: Invasive Plants of California's Wildlands Available at for purchase or for free download.
• BOOK: Weeds of California and other Western States
• CD-ROM: Grass and Grass-like Weeds of California
• CD-ROM: Broadleaf Weeds of California
2. Weeds in water: Aquatic invasive plant identification
• BOOK: Aquatic and Riparian Weeds of the West. Text and photograph identification of 170 species of submerged, floating leaf, and emergent aquatic weeds, including common riparian invaders.
• WEBSITE: The San Francisco Estuary Institute's Invasive Aquatic and Wetland Plants page. Navigate using the list on the left. Provides species photos, descriptions, as well as impact and control information.
• WEBSITE: The WRICs Aquatic weed photo gallery. Photos, descriptions and control methods, too.

The art and science of killing weeds!

This list will connect you to a larger conglormeration of resources.

• BOOKS and PUBLICATIONS: See a list of Cal-IPC's control resources...great info on fire, yellow star thistle, and more.
• WEBSITES: Other control references available ON-LINE.
• WEBSITES: links to groups whose sole mission is the control of one specific species.
• WEBSITE: NatureServe Explorer. Search by species to find species distribution, life history, economic attributes, management summaries and more for native, non-native and invasive species.
• FIELD GUIDE:The Weed Worker's Handbook - Available ONLINE! control of Bay-Area weeds plus info on tools, working with volunteers, and more. Very portable!