Motorists will need to be on the lookout for Kentucky Transportation Cabinet crews as they begin spraying along roadways for noxious and nuisance weeds throughout the state this month.
According to state officials, the cabinet targets Johnson grass, giant foxtail, Canada thistle, nodding thistle common teasel, multiflora rose, amur honeysuckle, poison hemlock, marestail, Japanese knotweed and kudzu.
Left uncontrolled, officials say noxious weeds can grow so large that they interfere with a driver’s line of vision on highways. He adds that they can also damage pavement and embankments and clog ditches, causing drainage problems.
Noxious weeds often invade and destroy the roadside turf grass, leaving these areas vulnerable to erosion, according to state officials. They can also smother native plants through rapid reproduction and long-term persistence.