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-"/ ~ ,-1 (;Jj--6-iL -~ 01 if 3D \;X'1: \X{ . ~ .: 1 . ", · ,...." ,', , "', . - -, " ! ,dhh. & eeds =<: a V> <l.. ~ a ~ C)l --l L<J ~ ~ A purple loosestrife infestation in upstate New York. One purple loosestrife plant produces 3 million seeds. By KEVIN J. COOK Russian olive symbolizes a chronic wildlife tragedy. For the few short- term benefits this Asiatic tree confers to wildlife, it exacts a horrible long-term price. It degrades the land, making habitat less useful to wildlife. Russian olive is a weed. A concept of management, not botany, the term "weed" applies to any plant that grows where it is not wanted. Corn in a cornfield is a crop, but corn in a wheatfield is a weed. Quite literally, a plant may be a wildflower on one side of the road and a weed on the other. Unfortunately, the term "weed" con- Kevin Cook is the outdoors writer for the Fort Collins Coloradoan. This article is copyrighted by the author. 10 veys images of unwanted greenery in gardens and fields. Weeds have too long been considered an agricultural issue, regarded as a farmer's problem. In truth, weeds are a natural resource problem. Any plant can grow where it's not wanted. However, the greater threats posed by weeds are those caused by exotic species. Those organisms transported by humans from one continent to another are exotic species. "Exotic" means "from another land." Various people, all dissatisfied with the public's under- standing of what exotic means, have proposed alternative terms such as "alien" and "adventive." Changing terms only perpetuates confusion. We need to quibble less about which umbrella term to use and focus more on the diverse hazards that weeds, partic- ularly exotic weeds, pose.