Areas of Rapid City Experiencing Emergence of Noxious Weeds

AREAS OF RAPID CITY EXPERIENCING EMERGENCE OF NOXIOUS WEED “HOUNDSTONGUE” (CYNOGLOSSUM OFICINALE)

City official advises property owners to inspect their properties for noxious weeds and to take necessary steps to eradicate them

RAPID CITY, SD—Areas of Rapid City are experiencing an emergence of noxious weeds, particularly the weed commonly known as “houndstongue”. City Environmental Planner Morgan Twombly is advising property owners to inspect their lawns and/or pasture for the presence of this and other weeds.

            The recent rains have contributed to a bloom of weeds in the area, and houndstongue is a particularly nefarious weed. Listed as one of Pennington County’s locally declared weeds, Twombly reminds the public it is every property owner’s duty to address the presence of weeds on their property. A list of state and locally declared weeds can be found on the Pennington County website here.

                “We are seeing quite an increase in noxious weeds in areas of the community recently and want to advise property owners to inspect their properties and advise of some important steps they can take to eradicate them,” said Twombly.

            Houndstongue goes through a two year life cycle. During the first year it will appear as a circular arrangement of leaves close to the ground known as a rosette. These leaves are shaped like to a dog’s tongue, lending itself to the name houndstongue. During this first year it can be hard to notice, and thus able to persist without property owner’s knowledge. During the second year the plant will produce a flowering stalk which can grow as high as 4 feet, with deep red or white flowers. The flowers will mature into a seed with barbed hooks, which will latch onto pets, livestock or clothing. Houndstongue can be toxic to livestock and pets and can infest lawns and pasture, degrading our wonderful prairies.

            In addition to houndstongue, many properties will experience an influx of Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) which can quickly overrun a property and is a state-declared weed. These weeds spread their seeds in the wind, and can be extremely difficult to eradicate once established.

            In terms of control, houndstongue is best corrected by hand pulling or digging up the first year plants or spraying with herbicide such as 2,4-D or Milestone. Second year plants can also be sprayed or pulled, but the stalk should be cut down and bagged to contain the seeds. Canada thistle is also well controlled by these herbicides, but if you are uncomfortable using such chemicals pulling and regular cutting will keep them in check.

            As a reminder, yard waste is not permitted in City issued trash cans. Any yard waste should be placed in paper bags and dropped off at any of the three sites around the City. Proper disposal procedures and locations of these sites can be found here. This waste will be composted and the process will kill any weed seeds, whereas improper disposal will not.

           Any questions should be directed to the City Environmental Planner, Morgan Twombly, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.