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Yellow archangel leaves and flowers. -
Yellow archangel flowers. Photo Credit: Ansel Oommen, Bugwood.org -
Yellow archangel leaves. -
Yellow archangel.
Also known as: Golden dead-nettle, weasel-snout, artillery plant, aluminum plant
Yellow archangel is a fast-growing, evergreen groundcover that climbs up and over low-growing plants, stumps, and other obstacles. It has showy yellow flowers which make it popular to plant in gardens and hanging baskets. However, it can quickly escape and infest forested areas.
Description:
| Life Cycle: | Perennial (life cycle lasts more than one year) |
| Early Detection and Rapid Response species: | No |
| Height: | 1 – 2 feet (30 – 60 centimeters) |
| Leaf Description: | Oval-shaped leaves grow opposite along the stem and are hairy with toothed edges. They are green with silvery-grey markings. In cold temperatures, the leaf undersides can turn purple. |
| Fruit & Flower Description: | Flowers are small, yellow and grow close to the stems. They are two lipped – the upper lip forms a hood while the lower lip has orange markings. Ants are attracted to the seeds, bringing them back to their nests where they can germinate! |
| Bloom Time: | April to June |
Habitat:
- Yellow archangel can escape residential flower gardens and be found in forested parks, riparian areasRiparian Areas Areas of land that occur along the edges of rivers, streams, lakes, and other bodies of water., and greenbelts.
- It grows well in a variety of soil types and all sun conditions. It prefers moist soil but can tolerate drought.
Impact:
- Yellow archangel can form extensive mats which don’t provide sufficient food and shelter for wildlife.
- It spreads by stem and root fragments and can grow up to 3 feet (1 meter) per year, giving it a competitive advantage over other plants.
What you can do about it:
- Proper disposal is key to preventing it from spreading to natural areas. Whenever pruning or removing yellow archangel from gardens, make sure to dispose of any clippings or roots in a plastic bag in the trash—not your yard waste bin or home compost. Never dump clippings in parks or natural areas.
- It can be hand-pulled or dug up; however, hand-pulling can be labor-intensive. To fully eradicate it, plants must be pulled up by the roots, being careful to remove all root and stem fragments. This is easiest when the soil is moist, typically fall through early spring in Washington County.
- Dense infestations can be control by sheet mulching.
Noxious Weed Listing:
| State of Oregon: | Class B |
| State of Washington: | Class B |
More Resources:
Download the Yellow Archangel Best Management Practices Factsheet
- University of California, Weed Research & Information Center: Yellow archangel