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Oregon Invasive Species Council

May 2011- Goatsrue
Invasive Species of the month
Goats rue
Invasive species of the month- Goatsrue (Galega officinalis)
What?
Goatsrue, also knows as French lilac, is a member of the Legume family (Fabaceae) and is a herbaceous perennial. Each plant tends to form a crown, and grows 2 to 6 feet tall. A plant may have 20 stems and a deep taproot.  The first seedling leaves are large, oval, and dark green.


May calendar events

Where?

It is native to Middle East, and has been naturalized in Europe and western Asia.  Historically, it was a popular garden plant in both Europe and the United States partly because of its religious and medicinal values. In 1891, goat’s rue was introduced to Cache County, Utah, for use as a forage crop.  It was collected in Colorado, Connecticut and New York prior to the 1930’s and in Maine and Pennsylvania in the 1960’s.  Goat’s rue is on the Federal Noxious Weed List.  Goat’s rue was found in a crop in Grant’s Pass, Oregon in 2007 and currently is under eradication.


Lookalike?
Although goat's rue may be confused with crown vetch (Coronilla varia), it is taller then crown vetch when upright.  The flowers of crown vetch are usually more pink than those of goat's rue.  The leaves and leaflets of goats rue are pointed and larger than those of crown vetch.  Goat's rue leaves "roll" as they develop, a characteristic visible even whenthe plant is very young.
What can you do?
Be on the lookout for invasive species, and please report suspected invaders online at http://oregoninvasiveshotline.org/ or call the Invasive Species Hotline at 1-866-INVADER (1-866-468-2337), this number is toll free.
 


More information
More information on goatsrue can be found at the Oregon Department of Agriculture Noxious Weed Control weed profiles.
2011 Invasive Species calendar
2011 Oregon Invasive Species Calendar
Risk Assessment
Pest Risk Assessment for Goatsrue (pdf)