canals

Weeds of Boise: Awkward Botany Headquarters
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Weeds of Boise: Awkward Botany Headquarters

Last December, Sierra and I left apartment living behind and embarked on a new journey as homeowners, which you can read about in this January’s Year in Review post. This means that Awkward Botany Headquarters now has a yard, and having a yard means we also have weeds.

For many people living in urban areas, the weeds of most concern to them are the ones found in their yards, especially for those that garden or like to keep a tidy yard. Removing weeds is a constant chore. They are always popping up and getting in the way of our plans. In fact, that’s the very definition of a weed – an uninvited plant growing in a location where it isn’t wanted. Despite our best efforts, our yards are always going to have some amount of weeds in them, so what better place to familiarize yourself with your wild urban flora than in your own yard? Or, in this case, our yard.

Our house is located in an area of Boise called the Bench. The Boise Bench, which is actually a series of benches or terraces, is located south of the Boise River and overlooks downtown Boise. The formation of the benches began 2 million years ago as the Boise River cut through the valley. Over time, sediments were deposited at the south bank of the river as it cut further and further northward, leaving behind the series of large terraces. Early in Boise’s history, the Bench was largely agricultural land thanks to the construction of canals. As the city grew, housing and commercial developments expanded across the Bench and have now displaced most of the farmland. Urbanization of the Boise Bench continues today at a steady clip.

While I haven’t had a chance to explore every square inch of the yard, and the growing season is just getting started, what follows are a few photos and a short list of some of the weeds I’ve encountered so far.

white top (Lepidium sp.)
  • prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola)
    • dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
    common mallow (Malva neglecta)
    redstem filaree (Erodium cicutarium)
    burdock (Arctium minus)
    quackgrass (Elymus repens)
    spring draba (Draba verna)
    bulbous bluegrass (Poa bulbosa)
    • Arctium minus (burdock)
    • Bromus hordeaceus (soft brome)
    • Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass)
    • Capsella bursa-pastoris (shepherd’s purse)
    • Cichorium intybus (chicory)
    • Cirsium arvense (creeping thistle)
    • Chondrilla juncea (rush skeletonweed)
    • Dactylis glomerata (orchardgrass)
    • Digitaria sanguinalis (crabgrass)
    • Draba verna (spring draba)
    • Echinochloa crus-galli (barnyard grass)
    • Elymus repens (quackgras)
    • Epilobium sp. (willowherb)
    • Erodium cicutarium (redstem filaree)
    • Euphorbia maculata (spotted spurge)
    • Galium aparine (cleavers)
    • Hordeum murinum (wild barley)
    • Lactuca serriola (prickly lettuce)
    • Lepidium sp. (white top)
    • Malva neglecta (common mallow)
    • Matricaria discoidea (pineappleweed)
    • Poa bulbosa (bulbous bluegrass)
    • Polygonum sp. (knotweed)
    • Portulaca oleracea (purslane)
    • Prunella vulgaris (self-heal)
    • Sonchus sp. (sowthistle)
    • Taraxacum officinale (dandelion)
    • Tragopogon dubius (salsify)
    • Ulmus pumila (Siberian elm)
    • Verbena bracteata (bigbract verbena)
    • Veronica sp. (speedwell)

    Like all posts in the Weeds of Boise series, this will be updated as I identify and photograph more of the weeds found in this location. Do you have a yard in an urban area? What weeds are you seeing in your yard this year? Let us know in the comment section below.

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    Weeds of Boise: Ridenbaugh Canal between Vista Avenue and Federal Way

    Like so many urban areas that had their start as agricultural communities, Boise is home to a vast network of canals. Major canals, such as the New York Canal, stretch across the valley and divert water through an extensive series of laterals. This water once irrigated numerous farms and orchards found within Boise and beyond. While large farms still exist outside of Boise – as well as a few small farms within city limits – much of this water now goes to irrigating lawns and gardens of city residents who are lucky enough to have access to it.

    Because of the way these canals weave their way throughout Boise and into the surrounding area, there is interest in transforming them into transportation corridors for bicyclists and pedestrians. This would be in addition to the Boise River Greenbelt, a 30 mile trail system that already exists along the Boise River, and would vastly increase access to alternative and sustainable transportation for people living in the area.

    Accessibility to these canals is limited, but where trails are available, they are a great place to observe wild urban flora and urban wildlife. This month, I explored a section of the Ridenbaugh Canal that extends about a thousand feet between Vista Avenue and Federal Way. There is a wide, dirt trail on the north side of the canal, easily accessible from Vista Avenue, that ends at the railroad tracks which run alongside Federal Way. The bank of the canal is steep, but there is one spot at the end of the trail that leads down to the water’s edge. Weeds are abundant along both sides of the trail, so it’s a great place to become familiar with common members of our wild urban flora.

    blue mustard (Chorispora tenella)

    henbit (Lamium amplexicaule)

    flixweed (Descurainia sophia)

    A long strip of white top (Lepidium sp.) flanks a fence alongside the trail.

    A pair of Canada geese and four goslings have made this stretch of the canal their home.

    redstem filaree (Erodium cicutarium)

    bulbous bluegrass (Poa bulbosa)

    Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica)

    Weeds found at Ridenbaugh Canal between Vista Avenue and Federal Way:

    • Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass)
    • Ceratocephala testiculata (bur buttercup)
    • Chondrilla juncea (rush skeletonweed)
    • Chorispora tenella (blue mustard)
    • Descurainia sophia (flixweed)
    • Draba verna (spring draba)
    • Epilobium sp. (willowherb)
    • Erodium cicutarium (redstem filaree)
    • Galium aparine (cleavers)
    • Hordeum murinum ssp. glaucum (smooth barley)
    • Lactuca serriola (prickly lettuce)
    • Lamium amplexicaule (henbit)
    • Lepidium sp. (white top)
    • Malva neglecta (common mallow)
    • Medicago lupulina (black medic)
    • Medicago sativa (alfalfa)
    • Poa bulbosa (bulbous bluegrass)
    • Reynoutria japonica (Japanese knotweed)
    • Rumex crispus (curly dock)
    • Secale cereale (cereal rye)
    • Taeniatherum caput-medusae (medusahead)
    • Taraxacum officinale (dandelion)
    • Tragopogon dubius (salsify)

    Like all posts in the Weeds of Boise series, this will be updated as I identify and photograph more of the weeds found in this location. If there is a canal near you, get outside and take a look at what’s growing along the banks. Let me know what you find in the comment section below.