Weeds

The City of Edmonton has a Herbicide Ban Motion in place to eliminate non-essential use of herbicides on City-owned land. However, there are exemptions that allow for their use. Herbicides are used to:

• Ensure City infrastructure is safe and well-maintained, this includes use on sewer pipes, storm water facilities, concrete surfaces and along LRT routes
• Maintain cemeteries, bowling greens, premier sports fields, as well as parkland used in high-profile events
• Manage regulated weeds listed in the Alberta Weed Control Regulation

Bylaw 14600, Community Standards Bylaw, states that landowners should not have “unkempt grass or weeds higher than 10 centimetres”. This is why residents should control weeds in general.

Both private and public property owners are regulated by the Alberta Weed Control Act, which defines a list of regulated weeds that need to be controlled or eradicated by property owners. If you need help with identifying weeds, use the Weed Identification lookup tool or the online service (information only) or download the Edmonton 311 app.

• You can call 311 or submit a complaint online or on the Edmonton 311 app.
• During the growing season, there are two service requests that can be submitted online and on the Edmonton 311 app including:
  • Noxious Weeds - Private Property*
  • Noxious Weeds - Public Property* 

*Note: these requests are intended for regulated weeds only.

A lot of invasive plants were introduced to Canada as ornamental garden plants because they are beautiful. Sometimes introduced ornamental plants escape from gardens and farms (seeds, creeping roots, movement of infested soil or plant pieces) into natural areas, where they become invasive. 

For regulated/noxious weeds like Creeping Bellflower, pull these plants from the root and put them in the black garbage cart. Never place noxious weeds in your green food scraps cart or home compost. Mixing noxious weeds with your other yard waste risks spreading viable plant parts.

For yard and garden trimmings that do not contain regulated/noxious weeds, place them in the green food scraps cart or yard waste bags for seasonal pickup.

Learn what goes where with the WasteWise App.

Creeping Bellflower is listed as a noxious weed in the Alberta Weed Control Act and property owners are required to control its spread. To do this, remove the plant and dig out as much of the root as possible. Learn more at Weed Identification and Removal.

The sooner new growth is removed, the less energy can be stored in the roots of the plants. Over time, you will starve out the roots. If you can not get the whole population out, make sure to remove flowers before they produce seeds to stop seeds from going into the soil.