A newly verified population of butterly dock (Petasites hybridus) was found in Wisconsin this month. Butterfly dock (also known as butterbur, bog rhubarb, devil’s hat, winter heliotrope, purple butter-bur, Pestilence wort, or colt’s foot) grows in semi-shaded moist areas such as wetlands, forests, forest edges, bogs, and marshes. It is cultivated for its medicinal properties, but is listed in NR40 as a Prohibited species due to its aggressive growth and reproduction.
The population was observed in a right-of-way just North of Gillett in Oconto County and is the first documented population for Northeast Wisconsin. While the population wasn’t found in the Fox-Wolf basin, it is still worth keeping an eye open as you are out an about!
Nature Care Ecological Consulting and Services conducted a herbicide treatment on the verified population of butterfly dock in early June after getting permission from the land owner. The control efforts are being funded by the Pittman-Robertson Prohibited Early Detection Invasive Plants (PEDIP) project under the WDNR Bureau of Natural Heritage Conservation. For more information about this species check out the DNR webpage: https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Invasives/fact/ButterflyDock.html
Original Story from Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
The Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance staff continue to work to protect and restore our water resources during these difficult times. We continue to follow safety guidelines while conducting meetings, implementing projects, and other works to protect the community at large. Stay safe!
Questions? Comments? Contact Chris Acy, the AIS Coordinator covering Fond du Lac, Calumet, Outagamie, and Brown and Winnebago Counties at (920) 460-3674 or chris@fwwa.org!
