By-law enforcement complaints can be submitted online 24/7 by visiting the online services page, by email, or by calling 519-599-3131 ext. 249.
The Town is home to an abundance of natural wonders, including various species of plants and wildlife. To protect and sustain The Blue Mountains' natural features and landscape and ensure its health for all to enjoy, the Town conducts regular weed control to combat noxious weeds and invasive species.
Invasive Species & Noxious Weeds
Wild Chervil is a herbaceous biennial or short-lived perennial from the carrot/parsley family, introduced to North America from Europe. It is commonly found along roadsides, cultivated field edges and pastures, and is abundant in various locations through The Blue Mountains and Grey County. Wild Chervil can quickly take over an area, displacing native species and forming dense stands that are difficult to control.
How to identify Wild Chervil
- Wild Chervil is a biennial or short-lived perennial producing numerous compound Umbel Shaped clusters of white flowers.
- Flowers bloom usually from May to June. Seeds appear late June through July.
- Plant has alternately arranged, compound, fern-like leaves.
- Stems are entirely green, ridged, and hollow. Portions of the stem are smooth while lower portions are hairy.
- Plants are upright and can grow to 1-1.5m in height.
- Chervil resembles other plants in the carrot/parsley family, such as Wild Carrot (Queen Anne’s Lace).
- Wild Chervil can be easily recognized because it is the first species in the carrot/parsley family to flower in late spring.
What to do if you think you've seen Wild Chervil
If you suspect Wild Chervil is growing on your property or you see Wild Chervil in the Town, please contact By-Law Services at 519-599-3131 ext. 249.
Poison Ivy is a harmful weed that can be distinguished by its low growth and its cluster of three leaves. The plant can most commonly be found along the edges of trails and woodland, meadows, fence lines or roadsides.
Human Health Risks
Its roots contain a poisonous substance and can cause irritation, inflammation and blisters when it comes into contact with the skin.
Giant Hogweed is a perennial plant native to southwest Asia and a member of the carrot family. The plant has the potential to spread readily and grows along roadsides, ditches and streams. It invades old fields and native habitats such as open woodlands.
Human Health Risks
The clear watery sap of giant hogweed contains toxins that can cause severe inflammation of the skin. You can get severe burns if you get the sap on your skin and following exposure to sunlight. Symptoms occur within 48 hours and consist of painful blisters. For more information on Giant Hogweed, please visit Ontario's Invading Species Awareness Program website.
Wild Parsnip, which is also known as poison parsnip, is a member of the carrot/parsley family and is an invasive plant native to Europe and Asia. It typically grows a low, spindly rosette of leaves in the first year while the root develops. In the second year it flowers on a tall stalk and then dies. The plant can form dense stands and spreads quickly in areas such as open fields, meadows and roadsides. The plant produces sap containing chemicals that can cause human skin to react to sunlight, resulting in intense burns, rashes or blisters.
How to identify Wild Parsnip
- Grows up to 1.5 metres tall.
- The single green stem is two to five centimetres thick and smooth with few hairs.
- Compound leaves are arranged in pairs, with sharply toothed leaflets that are shaped like a mitten.
- Yellowish green flowers form umbrella-shaped clusters 10 to 20 centimetres across.
- Seeds are flat and round.
For more information on Wild Parsnip, please visit Ontario's Invading Species Awareness Program website.
For a comprehensive list of noxious weeds found within The Blue Mountains, please click here.
Frequently Asked Questions
As explained under the Ontario Invasive Species Act, 2015, an invasive species is a species that is not native to Ontario, or to a part of Ontario, and is harming the natural environment or is likely to harm the natural environment, regardless of whether it is present in Ontario or in a part of Ontario.
For more information on dealing with, and identifying invasive species, please visit Ontario's Invading Species Awareness Program website.
The noxious weed control program is regulated under the Weed Control Act and is used to control and eradicate Wild Chervil. The Town has hired a licensed contractor to spray Truvist to control the re-growth of Wild Chervil. Truvist was successfully tested in plots on roadsides throughout Grey County with input from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and University of Guelph. At this time, Truvist is only approved for use on roadsides and not for use on private land such as fields and pasture.
The spraying occurs annually, typically over four consecutive days, between the middle of May to early June, depending upon the weather. To provide advance notice, the Town issues a formal notice through the News & Notices page before the anticipated starting date of the spraying. To view the 2021 Wild Chervil Spraying Map, please click here.
The licensed contractor typically uses Truvist Herbicide, which contains the active ingredients, Chlorsulfuron and Aminocyclopyrachlor. PCP Registration Number 30920 in combination with Hasten NT Spray Adjuvant, which contains active ingredients Methyl and ethyl oleate (esterified vegetable oil). PCP Registration Number 28277 under the Pest Control Products Act. Truvist is an approved herbicide shown to be effective in controlling Wild Chervil along the Town road allowance.
If you wish to opt-out of pesticide spraying on the road allowance fronting a property, you can contact the Town to request a 'Do Not Spray' sign that can be installed on the road allowance at the limits of the property’s frontage. It is important to note that under the Weed Control Act, the Town is required to control Wild Chervil.
Regardless of posted signs, unmaintained sections of the Town's road allowance will still be sprayed if there is evidence of wild chervil. If you have questions about this process or would like to request a sign, please contact Operations Staff at 519-599- 3131 ext. 259.
Currently, there are no products approved for spraying Wild Chervil on private property, but residents are still responsible for destroying noxious weeds on their land. Taking the following steps can help eliminate Wild Chervil within the Town.
1. Report any Wild Chervil sightings to the Town
If you suspect Wild Chervil is growing on your property or you see Wild Chervil in the Town, please contact By-Law Services at 519-599-3131 ext. 249.
2. Take action yourself
- Grubbing out or cutting to prevent wild chervil from going to seed.
- If the Wild Chervil has already flowered, cut and bag the plants and leave them in direct sunlight for several. Then dispose of by burning or burying deep underground.
- Once the plant is removed, be careful not to move the infected soil and remember to thoroughly clean equipment, vehicles and footwear before leaving the infested site.