What we’ll cover:

• What is invasive?

Invasive Plants in Our Gardens: • Species to watch out for

Why should we care and what can we do?
• Gardening with natives

Dr. Julie Richburg, West Region Ecologist

The Trustees of Reservations

Chapel Brook Reservation

112+ reservations & growing!

More than 25,000 acres +19,000 acres in CRs
WISP Partners

weed weed
alien non-native alien non-native

noxious introduced noxious introduced

invasive exotic invasive Growing where exotic

you don’t want it

non-indigenous naturalized non-indigenous naturalized

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 alien introduced non-native But only 10% of non-natives are
Published in 2011

Almost 3,000 plant species Invasive

33% of species are non-native

Naturalized

Deliberately or accidentally

non-indigenous invasive exotic

The Problem: Non-native invasive species Of 1,880 species that are threatened or
threaten our native biodiversity. endangered {nationally}, 49% are being
outcompeted by non-natives.
- BioScience, 1998

Top two threats to native plant species & maintaining native diversity:

1. Habitat destruction 2. Invasive species

- John Randall, The Nature Conservancy

Why are invasive plants so successful?

Some problems caused by invasive plants  Lack of predators

 High seed production & success rate for seeds

Reduce biodiversity
 Successful dispersion by seeds or roots

Usurp habitats of native plants and the
 Can thrive under a variety of conditions
animals tied to those natives

Retard forest regeneration  Leaf out earlier and hold leaves longer than
natives

Limit access and recreation
 Can alter environment (soil chemistry, cause

Human health heavy shading, etc.)
 Adaptable to changing conditions (climate
Photo by Les Mehrhoff, IPANE
change)

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Invasive plants in gardens ……. … will escape to our native habitats.

What we’ll cover:

• What is invasive?

• Species to watch out for

• Gardening with natives

Chesterfield Gorge Reservation

Garlic mustard Garlic mustard

Biennial herb with a garlic odor, Competition with Changing
Native to Europe native species ecosystems

Les Mehrhoff, IPANE

Loss of Biodiversity

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 Japanese barberry Oriental bittersweet
Alteration of soil chemistry • Physical destruction of trees due to weight
• Genetic swamping of native bittersweet
Displaces native plants
Access problems
Lyme disease link

Photos by Les Mehrhoff, IPANE

Glossy buckthorn Black & pale swallowwort

Infests forested & open areas, displaces native plants, not good food

Photos by L. Mehrhoff, IPANE

Photos by Les Mehrhoff, IPANE

Pale or Black Swallowwort Could these show up in your garden or town?

YES!

Les Mehrhoff, IPANE

NY: Grassland bird

Decline, Xmas tree
Farms, forest regen
Early Detection & Rapid Response
Barbara Spencer

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 INVASION, DETECTION, AND RESPONSE Mile-a-minute

Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org

Tom Rawinski

30+ sites in MA

Kudzu

Photo: Johnny Randall, NC Botanical Garden

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 Japanese stiltgrass
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Known in MA from
6 sites:

• Barnstable Co.
• Bristol Co. Thin, fibrous roots;
“stilts” above ground
• Essex Co. 3

• Middlesex Co.
• Plymouth Co.
• Suffolk Co. Leaf is 1-3 inches long
Reflective center stripe
No obvious hairs at stem node
Chuck Bargeron, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org

>40 locations in MA
Japanese stiltgrass Dukes, Nantucket, Middlesex,
Norfolk,Worcester, Franklin,
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5 6 Hampden, Hampshire, Berkshire

Single young Stiltgrass

plant growing habit

Fall color: Yellow/

Purple/ Red Photos: , 6: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. 4., Chris Evans, River to
River, CWMA, USA. 5: Ted Bodner, Southern Weed Science
Society, Bugwood.org..
Photo by Les Mehrhoff, IPANE

Porcelain berry

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Hemlock woolly Emerald ash borer
adelgid What we’ll cover:

• What is invasive?

• Species to watch out

for

• Gardening with natives

and other things to do
Photo: M. Prue
to help Naumkeag
Photo: J. Randall
Photo by: Michael Lavin Flower

Gardening
“Chances are, you have never
for Life thought of your garden —
indeed, of all of the space on
your property — as a wildlife
preserve that represents the
last chance we have for
sustaining plants and animals
that were once common
throughout the U.S. But that
is exactly the role our
suburban landscapes are now
playing and will play even
more in the near future.”

PlantWise Guidelines
1. Know your plants.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW 2. Use non-invasive alternatives.
Purpose: 3. Watch out for invasive plant hitchhikers.
To educate the public and communities about the
4. Have a care if you share.
importance of controlling invasive plants, and to show
people what they can do to help. 5. Use only seed mixes that are invasive plant-free.

Partnership between: 6. Use weed-free soil and mulch mix.

• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center 7. Be especially careful with aquatic plants.
• National Park Service 8. Keep an eye on new sprouts and volunteers.
• The Garden Club of America
• The National Invasive Species Council 9. Dispose of invasive plants carefully.
10. If you can’t part with your invasive plant, remember – contain it, control it or
cage it.
https://www.wildflower.org/plantwise/

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 Use Native Plants in
Gardens &
Landscaping

Native Shrubs for Plantings as Wildlife Food

Ma Natural Heritage & Endangered
Species Program

Alternatives to invasive or potentially invasive

exotic species
William Cullina, NEWFS Nursery Manager.

Workshops What can I do?

• Why Native Plant Landscapes
Matter to You
• Designing Healthy Landscapes • Identify invasive species on your property
that Emphasize Native Plants and in your town
Lecture series
• Prevent and control
Plant sales
Garden tours
• Use native species

• Talk to your friends

& neighbors

• Get involved with interested groups

What can I do? What can I do?

• Identify invasive species on your property • Identify invasive species on your property
and in your town and in your town

• Prevent and control • Prevent and control

• Use native species • Use native species

• Talk to your friends • Talk to your friends

& neighbors & neighbors

• Get involved with interested groups • Get involved with interested groups

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 What can I do? TupperWEED
• Identify invasive species on your property
and in your town • Find a willing host
• Introduce WISP
• Prevent and control • Walk about
• Build local interest
• See the results!
• Use native species

• Talk to your friends

& neighbors

• Get involved with interested groups

What can I do? Spread the word, Share what you know
• Identify invasive species on your property Not the weed about invasive plants
and in your town

• Prevent and control

• Use native species

• Talk to your friends

& neighbors

• Get involved with interested groups Outsmart app

We are willing
to share! Thank you

WestfieldRiverWatershed
InvasiveSpeciesPartnership

westfieldriver.org/education/invasives.html Feel free to contact me

wrwisp@gmail.com jrichburg@thetrustees.org

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 Early Detection and Rapid Response Get everyone you know involved!

• Outsmart
Invasives

• EDD Maps

Giant hogweed
First found in MA in 2002
~35 locations
Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk, Worcester,
Berkshire, Hampshire, Hampden, Franklin

Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org

Steve Antunes-Kenyon, MA Dept. of Agricultural Resources

Donna R. Ellis, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org

Giant hogweed
Acton (in progress)
Andover (eradicated as of 2010)
Blandford (2 sites, in progress)
Boston (near eradication)
Gill (in progress)
Granville (multiple sites,
in progress)
Groton (near eradication)
Hinsdale (in progress)
New Marlborough (in progress)
North Brookfield (eradicated as of 2010)
Northampton (in progress)
Sandwich (eradicated as of 2009)
Southwick (in progress)
Sutton (in progress)
Wakefield (eradicated as of 2010)
Westfield (multiple sites, in progress)
West Springfield (in progress)

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