Transcript Common Delaware Invasive Species

Kate O’Hanlon, Biologist
DE State Parks Environmental Stewardship Program
Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP)
First Project: Brandywine Creek State Park
Tulip Tree Woods Nature Preserve
1937
2002
Removal Techniques
 Foliar spray- Spray mist of chemical on leaves while
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actively growing
Basal Bark- Spray a ring of oil-based chemical around
woody stems or trunks while plant is actively growing
Cut stump- Use pruners or saw to cut woody stem flat
about 2-3’’ from ground, and coat stump with chemical
Hack and squirt- Use a hatchet to cut downward angled
notches around the diameter of a tree to create ‘pockets’ for
the herbicide
Hand pull- Pull entire root mass from the ground
Mowing- Repeatedly mow plants during entire growing
season
Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata)
 Native to Asia
 Introduced to the US in 1830
 Used as an ornamental plant, erosion control and
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wildlife habitat
Common on roadsides and forest edges
Aggressively outcompetes native plants
Seeds spread by birds
Controlled by 2% Garlon® 3A foliar treatment, 20%
Garlon® 3A cut-stump treatment, or 33% Garlon® 4
basal bark treatment.
Autumn Olive Identification
•Deciduous shrub
•Leaves alternate, oval shaped and
silvery beneath
•Fruits red with silver speckles
•Fragrant white to light yellow
flowers in spring
Bradford Pear (Pyrus calleryana)
 Native to China
 Introduced to US in 1908 as an ornamental tree and a
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rootstock for commercial pears
Found in disturbed woodlands, old fields and roadsides
Forms dense thickets and crowds out native species
Seeds easily spread by birds
Best control methods are to hand pull seedlings, 2%
Garlon® 3A foliar spray young trees, 33% Garlon® 4 basal
bark or 20% Garlon® 3A cut stump treatment
Bradford Pear Identification
•Deciduous , round shaped tree
•Leaves alternate, glossy, finely
serrated, heart to oval shaped;
twigs thorny
•Snowy white, foul smelling flower
clusters in spring
•Fruits are small, greenish brown
balls
Burning Bush (Euonymus alata)
 Native to northeastern Asia
 Introduced to US in 1860s as an ornamental plant
 Found in open woods, floodplains and disturbed
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ground
Forms dense thickets and outcompetes natives for
light and resources
Seeds can be spread by birds
Young plants can be hand pulled
Best methods for large plants are 20% Garlon® 3A cut
stump or 2% Garlon® 3A foliar treatments
Burning Bush Identification
•Deciduous shrub
•Leaves opposite, finely serrated, elliptical
shaped, turning vibrant red in autumn
•Green stems have four “corky” wings
•Reddish purple fruits develop in late
summer, yielding bright red seeds
Bush Honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.)
 Native to China and Korea
 Introduced to US in 1896 as an ornamental plant and
for wildlife habitat
 Found in old fields, forest edges, and floodplains
 Aggressively outcompetes native species for light and
resources
 Best control methods are hand pulling, 2% Garlon® 3A
foliar treatments, 33% Garlon® 4 basal bark or 20%
Garlon® 3A cut stump treatments
Bush Honeysuckle Identification
•Deciduous shrub
•Leaves opposite, oblong shaped, with a
long, pointed tip
•Fragrant, white to yellow flowers in
spring
•Bright red, fleshy fruits in pairs
•Stems hollow like a straw
Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii)
 Native to Asia
 Introduced to US in 1875 as an ornamental plant
 Found in young forests and areas with partial sunlight
 Forms dense thickets and outcompetes natives
 Leaf litter changes soil chemistry
 Birds spread seeds
 Best control methods are hand pulling, controlled
burns, and 2% Garlon® 3A foliar or 20% Garlon® 3A cut
stump treatments
Japanese Barberry Identification
•Deciduous shrub
•Leaves oval to spatula shaped, smooth edged,
grouped in clusters of 2-6
•Single spine emerging from where leaf and
branch join
•Six-petalled, yellow flowers in spring
•Oblong, bright red, dry fruits in late summer
through winter
•Heartwood bright yellow
Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora)
 Native to eastern Asia
 Introduced to US in 1860s as an ornamental plant for
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living fence and for erosion control
Grows in old fields, roadsides and open woods
Forms dense thickets that exclude natives
Seeds remain viable for 20-30 years
Can be controlled by regular cutting or 50%
Glyphosate cut stump treatment
Also suffers from a virus called rose rosette disease
Multiflora Rose Identification
• Thorny, perennial shrub that grows in
arching canes
•Leaves are alternate and pinnately
compound with 5-11 toothed, oval shaped
leaflets
•Produces clusters of fragrant, 5 petaled,
white to pink flowers in late spring
•Bright red rose hips develop in summer
Norway Maple (Acer platanoides)
 Native from southern Scandinavia to northern Iran
 Introduced to US in 1776 as an ornamental shade tree
 Found in deciduous forests and urban and suburban
natural areas
 Casts heavy shade and prevents establishment of
native seedlings
 Best control methods are hand pulling young plants,
and 20% Garlon® 3A cut stump or 33% Garlon® 4 basal
bark treatments of adult trees
Norway Maple Identification
•Deciduous, spreading shade tree with gray brown bark
•Leaves wide, dark green, opposite, 5 sharply pointed
lobes; turn bright gold in autumn
•Winged seeds with broad V-shape
•Grows to 40-50’ tall
•Milky sap exudes from broken leaves or stems
Privet (Ligustrum spp.)
 Native to Europe, Asia and northern Africa
 Different species introduced to US from 1700s through
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1950s as ornamental shrubs
Found in wood edges, floodplains, old fields and forests
Forms dense stands that outcompete native species
Does not have insect predators because of leaf
chemistry
Birds spread seeds
Best control methods are hand pulling young plants and
20% Garlon® 3A cut stump or 2% Garlon® 3A foliar
treatments of adult plants
Privet Identification
•Deciduous shrub
•Leaves opposite, oval shaped, small,
and glossy green
•Plumes of tiny white flowers in early
summer
•Clusters of dark blue-black berries in
autumn
Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima)
 Native to China
 Introduced to US in 1700s as an ornamental plant
 Grows in disturbed areas, fields, roadsides, and forest
edges and openings
 Creates dense thickets and outcompete natives
 Produce a toxin that suppresses growth of other plants
 Best control methods are 33% Garlon® 4 basal bark
treatment or 20% Garlon® 3A cut stump treatment
Tree of Heaven Identification
•Rapid growing deciduous tree
•Smooth trunks with gray bark
•Large compound leaves with ~20
leaflets
•Small yellow-green flowers are
produced at the ends of upper stems and
lead to pinkish winged seeds
•Leaves and stems have strong “peanut
butter”-like odor when crushed
Wineberry (Rubus phoenicolasius)
 Native to eastern Asia and Japan
 Introduced in 1890 to improve breeding stock of
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commercial berries
Prefers moist soils and sunlight growing in open
woods, fields, and along waterways.
Can form dense thickets and dominate areas
Seed dispersal through wildlife
Control through hand-pulling or a foliar treatment
using a 2% Glyphosate
Wineberry Identification
•Name translates as blackberry with
purple hairs
•Mature plant has long, upright, arching
stems covered with small spines and red
hairs (giving the a reddish color from a
distance)
•Stems may grow to a length of 9’
•Leaflets are heart shaped and serrated
with purplish veins
•Flowers are small, greenish with white
petals and reddish hairs
•Fruit is edible, bright red and raspberry
like
English Ivy (Hedera helix)
 Native to Europe, western Asia and northern Africa
 Brought to US in 1727 as an ornamental and medicinal
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plant
Found in temperate to subtropical environments with
enough water
Blocks light and germination of native, adds weight to
trees and encourages fungus growth and decay on host
trees
Berries mildly toxic
Can be handpulled, or 20% Garlon® 3A cut stump
treatment of large vines
English Ivy Identification
•Evergreen, woody vine
•Vine climbs with small aerial
rootlets
•Leave alternate, dark and waxy;
3-lobed with heart shaped base
•Blackish fruits develop in late
summer
Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)
 Native to Asia (Japan and Korea, specifically)
 Brought to US in 1880s as an ornamental plant, erosion
control and wildlife habitat
 Crowds out natives as a ground cover and can girdle
trees and shrubs as a vine
 Very shade tolerant and occurs in a variety of habitats
 2% Garlon® 3A foliar treatment in winter with repeat
treatments is best way to remove
Japanese Honeysuckle Identification
•Semi-evergreen, perennial, woody vine
•Opposite oblong to oval shaped leaves
•Fragrant, tubular, 5-petaled white to
yellow flowers
•Small black fruits in fall
•Reproduces vegetatively and by seed
Mile-a-minute Weed (Persicaria perfoliata)
 Native to India and eastern Asia
 Brought to US in 1930s from contaminated ornamental
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stock
Grows in disturbed areas, forest edges, roadsides, wetlands
and open fields
Grows over natives, blocking light and preventing
photosynthesis
Best controlled by ~2% Glyphosate foliar spray
Hand pulling is possible early in the growing season while
barbs are still soft
A mile-a-minute specific weevil has been released in the
area as a biocontrol method for the weed
Mile-a-minute Identification
•Herbaceous, annual vine
•Leaves alternate and triangular
•Reddish stems have downward
facing barbs and circular cupshaped leaves called ocrea
•Inconspicuous white flowers
produce bright blue seeds in
summer
Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus)
 Native to eastern Asia
 Introduced to US in 1860s as an ornamental plant
 Grows over native vegetation, blocking sunlight and
uprooting trees because of weight
 Grows in forest edges, woodlands, fields and
hedgerows
 Tolerates shade better than native bittersweet
 Best control methods are hand pulling when vines are
small, 20% Garlon® 3A cut stump treatment or 2%
Garlon® 3A foliar spray
Oriental Bittersweet Identification
•Deciduous woody vine
•Young stems are dotted with gray
lenticels, while large stems grow to
~4’’ in diameter
•Leaves alternate, glossy and round
•Small white flowers in late spring
develop into bright yellow fruits in
fall, which break open to reveal
bright red seeds
Porcelainberry (Ampelopsis brevipredunculata)
 Native to Asia
 Introduced to US in late 1800s as an ornamental plant
 Found in moist stream, pond and thicket edges and
areas with sun to partial shade
 Shades and outcompetes natives and increases sail
area of trees, leading to wind damage
 Birds and small animals spread seeds
 Hand pulling before fruiting or 2% Garlon® 3A foliar
spray are best control methods
Porcelainberry Identification
•Deciduous, woody vine; bark does not peel
•Climbs by tendrils
•Leaves alternate, 3-5 lobed, undersides shiny
•Flowers mid summer, producing bright
colored berries in autumn
•Berries white, blue, green, yellow, purple and
pastel shades
Sweet Autumn Virgin’s Bower
(Clematis terniflora)
 Native to China and Japan
 Introduced as an ornamental for its fragrant flowers –
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botanists started finding it in natural areas in early 1950s
Found along stream edges and in thickets and moist
woods
Forms ground cover and climbs over trees and shrubs
blocking light to plants below
Readily spreads via seeds
Young vines may be pulled, a foliar or cut stump Garlon
3A application may be used for control
Sweet Autumn Virgin’s Bower
Identification
•Perennial, semi-evergreen to
deciduous, herbaceous to semi-woody
vine
•Leaves opposite, pinnately compound,
with 3 to 5 leaflets each 2” – 3” long
•Sweet smelling, 4 petaled white
flowers at leaf axils and terminal ends
of branches bloom August - September
•Seed heads bear long, thin, gray
feathery styles
Wisteria (Wisteria spp.)
 Native to China and Japan
 Chinese was introduced to US in 1816 and Japanese in
1830 as ornamental plants
 Grows in moist forest and tolerates a variety of soils;
found mainly around old home sites
 Strangles trees, forms dense thickets and increases
weight of tree tops
 Best treatment is a combination of cutting vines back
close to the ground and 2% Garlon® 3A foliar spray on
new growth or repeated cutting until roots are starved
Wisteria Identification
•Deciduous, woody vine
•Leaves compound with 7-13 (Chinese)
or 13-19 (Japanese) leaflets
•Clusters of showy, pea-like purple
flowers in spring
•Long, fuzzy seed pods in late spring,
early summer
Bamboo (Pseudosasa japonica)
 Native to Asia
 Used primarily as an ornamental species and for privacy
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fences
Often found at old homesteads or spread from landscaping
from adjacent properties or dumping
Aggressively spread through underground stems and
resprouting from cut stems
Can form dense monocultures that difficult to remove once
established
Combination cutting in early summer with a fall
application of 2% glyphosate with a repeat application as
necessary
*This is just one of several invasive bamboos*
Bamboo Identification
•Perennial evergreen woody grass
•Jointed stems can grow to ¾” in
diameter and up to 16” high
•Lance shaped are 5” to 13” long
Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
 Native to Europe
 Brought to US in the 1800s by settlers as a food source
 Common in disturbed habitats, river floodplains,
forests, roadsides and trails and forest openings
 Aggressively outcompetes native plants
 Best control method is hand pulling, bagging and
composting plants before seed is set
 2% Garlon® 3A foliar treatment is also effective on
rosettes in winter
Garlic Mustard Identification
•Biennial herb- first year low to the ground
rosette, second year stalked with 4-petaled
white flower clusters
•Leaves heart to triangular shaped and
coarsely toothed
•Leaves smell like garlic when crushed
•Seeds produced in late May in small pods
called siliques
Japanese Stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum)
 Native to Asia
 Brought to US in 1919, most likely as shipping material
from China
 Can tolerate a variety of habitats and can form dense
ground cover which impedes native plants
 Well adapted to low light
 Small areas can be hand pulled, but best control is a
0.5% Glyphosate foliar spray
Japanese Stiltgrass Identification
•Annual grass
•Pale green, thin, lance
shaped leaves
•Thin silver stripe down
center of leaf
•Delicate spikes of
flowers develop late
summer, with seeds soon
to follow
Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica)
 Also known as Polygonum cuspidatum
 Native to Asia
 Brought to US in 1800s as an ornamental plant and for
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erosion control
Inhabits floodplains, roadsides and waste places
Rapidly colonizes and aggressively outcompetes natives
and forms dense thickets
Reproduces vegetativly and from seed
Best control method is cutting stalks at base, and treating
regrowth with 2-3% Garlon® 3A
Can also be hand pulled, but all material must be removed
because of the threat of regrowth
Japanese Knotweed Identification
•Herbaceous perennial with thick,
jointed stalks that resemble
bamboo
•Large “shovel” shaped leaves
•Height can reach 10 ft
•Produce spikes of small white
flowers in late summer
Lesser Celandine(Ranunculus ficaria)
 Native to Europe and western Asia
 Brought to US in 1867 as an ornamental
 Grows in floodplains, creek sides, occasionally upland
sites
 Crowds out natives, dense underground tubers, early
spring growth
 Best controlled by ~2% Glyphosate foliar spray with
surfactant
 Small infestations can be carefully dug out
Lesser Celandine Identification
•Early Spring Ephemeral
•Leaves glossy and heart shaped
•Flower shiny, yellow, 8-12 petals
•Numerous tubers on root system
Phragmites (Phragmites australis)
 Phragmites australis is widely distributed ranging all over
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Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Austrailia
Research has confirmed native North American halotypes
and introduced European halotypes
Scattered populations of native strains
Found in wet areas such as marshes, pond edges, and
drainage ditches (does tolerate brackish water)
Clog waterways and tall stems and dense growth shade out
native plants
Controlled by 1 ½ - 3% Wetland approved Glyphosate +
½% non-ionic surfactant
Phragmites Identification
•Up to 15’ tall, perennial grass
•Stems hollow and persist long after
end of growing season
•Leaves usually 1” to 1 ½” wide and
rough to touch
•Flowers large and feathery, purple
red changing to tawny-grayish
when in seed
Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
 Native to Europe
 Introduced to the US as a garden perennial in the 1800s – 1814 in
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the Northeast was one of the first reports; still promoted today
by some horticulturists
Used as an ornamental plant, erosion control and wildlife habitat
Optimum habitat includes marshes, stream margins, wet
grasslands
Prolific seeding and tolerance to a variety of water regimes and
soils allow for its proliferation
Reproduces mainly by seed, by can spread vegetatively
Controlled by wetland approved Glyphosate foliar application in
mid to late summer, biological control or a cut stump treatement
with a Glyphosate
Purple Loosestrife Identification
•Erect, perennial herb
•Square, woody stem usually
covered by downy hair
•Leaves opposite, non-serrated,
lance shaped arranged in pairs
around stem without stalks
•Flowers purple to magenta, 5-6
petals aggregated into several long
spokes blooming from July to
September
Sources
 Invasive Plants (2007) Kaufman, Sylvan
Ramsey and Kaufman, Wallace
 www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov
 www.Wikipedia.org
Photo Credits
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www.biobrandeis.edu
www.Biowed.uwlax.edu
www.emmitsburg.net
www.cas.vanderbilt.edu
www.condor.wesleyan.edu
www.conservationresoucesinc.org
www.davesgarden.com
www.delawarewildflowers.org
www.dforeman.cs.binghamton.edu
www.dicoverlife.org
www.drakeate.net
www.duke.edu
www.esu.edu
www.europe-aliens.org
www.flickr.com
www.forestryimages.org
www.seabirdstudio.com
www.sierrapotomac.org
www.vt.edu
www.wisteriaseed.com
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www.gerrystreenursery.com
www.harc.edu
www.ib.ns.ac.yu
www.invasive.org
www.k41.pbase.com
www.kingcounty.gov
www.knottybits.com
www.lukeflory.com
www.northwestweeds.nsw.gov
www.nps.gov
www.odla.nu
www.onegreenworld.com
www.oregonstate.edu
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www.purdue.edu
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www.Sciencenewsforkids.org
www.shawnnature.org
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www.main.nc.us