Invasive plants are easily found throughout Connecticut and the nation. Some such as Japanese barberry were brought here for ornamental purposes. Others were brought here to “solve” a problem. Kudzu, also known as ‘the vine that ate the South,’ was brought from Asia to shade porches, serve as cattle fodder, and to control erosion. And some invasive plants have been introduced accidentally in imported seed mixtures or in ballast water. No matter how or why these plants were brought here, they are a problem.
Native plants have long-established relationships with local herbivores and insects that help keep their populations in check. Invasive plants, on the other hand, aren’t consumed at rates high enough to limit their spread—allowing them to take over entire areas unchecked.
This spring, I conducted a biodiversity study of the wetlands at The Meetinghouse. I established 28 one-square-meter plots (which you can still see along the paths) and, over several weeks, documented the species and quantities of plants in each. Invasive species identified included Asian bittersweet, Japanese barberry, garlic mustard, multiflora rose, burning bush, border privet, and common reed. While only seven invasive species were found compared to 23 native ones, their sheer numbers were striking: approximately 5,000 individual invasive plants were recorded, compared to just 650 native plants.
The overwhelming numbers of invasive plants mean they are able to outcompete native plant species for resources and potentially leave some animals with fewer food and habitat sources.
- Some invasives, like garlic mustard and Tree of Heaven, release a chemical through their roots that make it difficult for other types of plants to grow around them, allowing them to continue their spread.
- Asian bittersweet is a vine that grows up trees, eventually choking and killing them.
- Japanese barberry is a shrub that creates the perfect temperature and humidity levels for the blacklegged tick which is the vector of both the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi (which causes Lyme disease) and the Powassan virus which causes a form of encephalitis.
Some invasive plants have been banned for sale in the state, while others have not, though nursery owners may make this decision themselves. If you find an invasive plant for sale, resist buying it. UCONN has the Invasive Plant Working Group website which is a valuable resource for the current list of invasive plants found in the state. For each species, they have pictures, whether it is banned, tested removal strategies, and much more information.
The removal strategies are important because effective ones vary depending on the plant type. If you have invasives in your yard, try to remove them. They must go into the trash, as putting them in composters or brush piles allows them to continue their spread. Keep in mind, this eradication effort is an ongoing project, as the invasives may return in the future due to seed or root spread.
And if you are willing to help remove invasive plants from the wetlands, plant native plants, or help with other land care at The Meetinghouse, please contact me at heather@meetinghouse.life.
