My Forest Enemy: Ilex aquifofium

While doing field work I come across what I have decided is a personal enemy on regular basis.

Eglish Holly (Ilex aquifolium)

I was able to pull this one out by the roots.

I at times visuzlize the Pacific Northwest forests in 10,000 years being a forest of holly. The holly shown above was in an old growth forest. I have come across holly in old forest areas ranging in elevation from the inland coastal areas to as much as 3500 feet in the Cascade Range. I have been digging it out of my own forest stand on regular basis, and when I can, I yank it out of the ground and stick it into a spot above the ground while traversing through the forest during a field ventures.  .

KUOW covered recent efforts to get this plant listed as a noxiuos weed (kuow.org/have-a-holly-noxious-christmas). The issue strikes me as a state governmment and ethics failure.