Noxious weeds making their way into Douglas County

ROSEBURG, Ore. -- Noxious weeds are making their way into Douglas County.

On Thursday, the Oregon State University Extension Service took a tour of some of the areas of the county that are seeing a relatively new plant taking hold.

The extension service hosted its 'Weed Tour 2011,' and visited a farm in Oakland, where a plant called the spurge laurel is showing up.

Shelby Filley of the extension service says it's a bad one, that needs to be pulled out with the roots.

The plant looks a lot like a rhododendron, and was originally sold as a nursery plant. "Since then, we've figured out that it's an invader and pretty aggressive," said Filley.

"It's taking over our native plant areas, our productive agricultural lands, so we're trying to bring attention to the weed and help people eliminate it," she said.

Filley says they will loan out their weed wrenches to anyone who needs them to help get rid of the pesky plants.

When you do pull them, make sure you dispose of the berries, which are poisonous and contain the seeds. "This weed is toxic to humans and animals, and it's toxic if you eat the berries or if you get the oils on your skin."

The tour gave residents a chance to visit the sites where the plants are so they can learn more about the weeds, and learn how to control the spread.

The weed tour is co-sponsored by the Douglas County Weed Advisory Board, the Douglas Soil and Water Conservation District and the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

For more information about noxious and invasive plants in Douglas County, you can contact the OSU Extension Service.