by Dan Jaffe While there are about as many definitions of “invasive species” out there as there are definitions for “native species,” they all agree on a few basic principles: An invasive species is a non-indigenous species, introduced outside of its natural range (either intentionally or unintentionally), that causes ecological and/or economic harm. And there […]
Archive | Invasive Plants
Watershed Restoration
January 15, 2018 in Invasive Plants, Permaculture
by Tao Orion This excerpt is adapted from Tao Orion’s book Beyond the War on Invasive Species: A Permaculture Approach to Ecosystem Restoration (Chelsea Green, 2015) and is printed with permission from the publisher. Aquatic ecosystems have been largely mismanaged, and the growth of invasive species demonstrates the lack of appropriate interaction with these valuable natural […]
A Word About Weeds
November 11, 2017 in Gardening Basics, Invasive Plants
by Teri Dunn Chace Excerpts taken from How to Eradicate Invasive Plants © Copyright 2013 by Teri Dunn Chace. Published by Timber Press, Portland, OR. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved. Worldwide Weeds Culturally, we live in a global village, thanks primarily to a dazzling array of technological advances in transportation […]
How Do Nurseries Handle Invasive Plants?
August 17, 2017 in Invasive Plants
ELA recently posed a few questions to regional nurseries to find out how they learning about and controlling distribution of known invasive plants and those plants that might become invasive. (more…)
Three Invasive Plant Species to Really Watch Out For
August 16, 2017 in Invasive Plants
by Michael Bald People sometimes ask which invasive plant species give me the greatest cause for alarm. They often have their own list or landscape perspective, but frequently we’ll agree on one or two. For me, it’s a fairly simple question, but first I frame the response with a touch of personal / professional experience. […]
Exotic Invasive Plant Control Hand Tools for Homeowners
August 16, 2017 in Invasive Plants
by Bruce Wenning This article was first published in the Spring 2016 issue of The Newton Conservators Newsletter. The cutting, digging, and plant-pulling tools that I use for controlling the spread of exotic invasive plants on nonprofit conservation lands are no different from what I recommend to homeowners and beginning gardeners. There are many tools […]
Developing Sterile Invasives (Why Bother?)
August 16, 2017 in Invasive Plants
by Ellen Sousa Maine has become the latest state to ban the sale of exotic invasive plants Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus) and Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii), both long-time staple plants of the landscaping industry that have seeded and spread aggressively into natural and agricultural areas in eastern USA. But are you aware of USDA-sponsored research […]
Eco-Answers from the Pros: Controlling Invasive Bamboo
August 16, 2017 in Eco-Answers, Invasive Plants
I live in north central Arkansas and have an issue with an invasive plant. There is a large stand of running bamboo along my back fence line that is expanding at the rate of 5-10 feet per year. It was on my neighbor’s land and he refused to take it out. I recently bought a […]
So Why Don’t You Use the Chems, Mike?
September 15, 2016 in Invasive Plants, Weeds and Weeding
by Mike Bald I get this question occasionally in my work managing invasive plants. When people are interested in hiring me, they do like to know the reasoning behind the company philosophy embracing only manual/mechanical methods. Since I always ask landowners about their vision for the property, I weave that exploration into the response about […]
Stewardship = Presence
June 15, 2016 in Invasive Plants
by Michael Bald Persistent, Relentless, Tenacious…such are the words we deploy to describe our nemesis weeds and invasive species. It’s all in the perspective, of course. (more…)