2009 Envirothon Invasive Plants Carey Entz Watershed Specialist Lycoming County Conservation District

Purple Loosestrife Purple loosestrife is an erect perennial herb with a square, woody stem and opposite or whorled leaves. Grows 4-10 feet high in wetlands, stream banks and road ditches. As it establishes and expands, it outcompetes and replaces native grasses, sedges, and other flowering plants that provide a higher quality of nutrition for native wildlife. Purple loosestrife was introduced to the northeastern U.S. and Canada in the 1800s, for ornamental and medicinal uses. It is still widely sold as an ornamental. Blooms June through September A mature plant may have as many as thirty flowering stems capable of producing an estimated two to three million, minute seeds per year.

Mile- A- Minute Native to Eastern Asia and India Introduced in the 30’s accidentally as a contaminant of ornamental stock. Grows about anywhere… road ditches, log roads, stream banks, wetlands and open fields. Can tolerated shade. This rapid growing trailing annual covers other plants and blocks their sunlight. Can impact forest regeneration.

Bush Honeysuckle Native to Asia and Western Europe Introduced in 1752 Likes disturbed areas: Wetlands, prairie, and forested communities are all affected. Spread by birds

Japanese Honeysuckle Native to Japan and Korea Introduced in the as an ornamental plant, for erosion control, and for wildlife forage and cover. A perennial vine that climbs by twisting its stems around vertical structures, including limbs and trunks of shrubs. Shrubs and young trees can be killed by girdling when vines twist tightly around stems and trunks, cutting off the flow of water through the plant. Dense growths of honeysuckle covering vegetation can gradually kill plants by blocking sunlight from reaching their leaves. Vigorous root competition also helps Japanese honeysuckle spread and displace neighboring native vegetation

Japanese Barberry Native to Japan Introduced as an ornamental plant in 1875 A dense, deciduous, spiny shrub that grows 2 to 8 ft. high. Barberry is shade tolerant, drought resistant, and adaptable to a variety of open and wooded habitats, wetlands and disturbed areas. It prefers to grow in full sun to part shade but will flower and fruit even in heavy shade.

Japanese Knotweed Native to Eastern Asia Introduced in the 1800’s as an ornamental and has also been used for landscape screens. It is found near water sources, such as along streams and rivers, in low-lying areas, waste places, utility rights-of- way, and around old homesites. spreads primarily by vegetative means with the help of its long, stout rhizomes. It is often transported to new sites as a contaminant in filldirt seeds, sometimes distributed by water, and carried to a lesser extent by the wind.

Multiflora Rose Native to Japan, Korea, and eastern China Introduced in1866 as rootstock for ornamental roses and promoted in the 30’s for erosion control and a “Living Fence” for livestock. A thorny, perennial shrub with arching stems (canes), and leaves divided into five to eleven sharply toothed leaflets. It occurs in dense woods, prairies, along stream banks, roadsides, in open fields and pastures.

Tree of Heaven Native to Central China Introduced to America by a gardener in Philadelphia, PA, in Seeds are produced on female trees in late summer to early fall, in flat, twisted, papery. (Brown Seed Tops) Is a prolific seed producer, grows rapidly, and can overrun native vegetation. Can be confused with several natives: sumacs, ash, black walnut and pecan

Autumn Olive Native to China, Japan, and Korea Introduced into U.S. cultivation in 1830 In 1963 it was planted primarily to provide food and cover for wildlife Is a medium to large shrub, often reaching heights of 20 feet. Silver under leaf. Autumn olive occurs in disturbed areas, succession fields, pastures, and roadsides, where it has been widely planted. It has been noted from prairies, open woodlands, and forest edges

Garlic Mustard Native to Europe Introduced in 1868 by settlers for food or medicinal purposes. Is a cool season biennial herb with stalked, triangular to heart-shaped, toothed leaves Gives off an odor of garlic when crushed Frequently occurs in moist, shaded soil of river floodplains, forests, roadsides, edges of woods and trails edges and forest openings outcompetes native plants by aggressively monopolizing light, moisture, nutrients, soil and space

2009 Envirothon Forestry Resources /Forestry-Topics.shtml