Goatsrue has a very limited distribution in Washington state, and the only known field locations are in King County. As a Class A noxious weed, eradication is required. It is sometimes offered for sale as a garden ornamental, but it is on the quarantine list (144 KB Acrobat file, 21 seconds with 56K modem) in our state, and it is illegal to buy, sell, transport or offer this species for sale. Goatsrue is also listed as a federal noxious weed.

King County currently has a few known sites, and they are all being actively controlled. We also work with neighboring county noxious weed control programs to alert them about locations. Goatsrue was introduced to Utah where it quickly spread to cover over 60 acres infesting cropland, irrigation waterways, pastures, fence lines, roadways and wet marsh areas. Goatsrue is fatal if ingested and eradication efforts have been costly and time consuming in Utah.

Goatsrue is a perennial herb that can be from 2 - 6 feet tall. The pea like flowers resemble those of vetch, and they are found in clusters from the tips of the stems and from leaf axils.

For information on goatsrue identification and control, please download our goatsrue weed alert (193 KB Acrobat file).

If you find goatsrue in King County, please notify us through our online infestation form.

To find out where we have records of this weed in King County, use our interactive noxious weed map and search for goatsrue.

For more information about goatsrue, please see the written findings of the WA State Noxious Weed Control Board.