A year ago when this Lonicera pileata was planted I noted the wide spacing and the opportunity for weeds to move in. It is since notable how slowly the Lonicera has grown here, as indicated by the chlorotic, yellow, new growth, that is not a variegation, and the variable size of the remaining plants, leaving it in a more ‘vulnerable’ state. Some of the Lonicera appear to be missing, either pulled out or dead. I’m a little surprised at how little weed invasion has occurred here, given the variety and density of weeds in nearby beds and adjacent properties and its state last Fall. The Equisetum here, a native species of Horsetail or Scouring Rush, was already on site, not planted. While native this is an extremely aggressive spreader and can infest sites in the Willamette Valley that are not even particularly wet. It was likely here before the Orange Line project was built or it could have been brought in with purchased topsoil. Once established on a site it is extremely difficult to get rid of, which is why when it is brought in with soil, it is so important to act quickly to get rid of it. Small pieces of root can produce a plant. This brings up the issue of beginning any landscape with a clean slate. Newly planted landscapes are at their most vulnerable, having a relatively high proportion of bare soil and new plantings that have not yet put out their roots into native soil and so will grow at a reduced rate. Commonly pre-emergent herbicides are applied to beds like these to deter weed growth, but even these don’t work on previously established weeds. Also, each such herbicide is ‘effective’, kills or controls, a limited set of weeds and they do this by chemically impeding the growth of sensitive root tips or the extension of the cotyledons, the emerging stem, up from the germinating seed. Pre-emergents create a shallow chemical barrier near the soil surface. Some can also be effective on the root growth of certain established species of desirable plants so caution must be taken with their use. Back to the Scouring Rush here, most pre-emergents are not effective on them. The use of such herbicides requires that the user knows both the weeds that are problematic on a given site and the resistance of the planted species and varieties so that their efforts are both an effective while not being deleterious to the plantings.