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How to Stop Some of the Most Invasive Plants in the United States

How to Stop Some of the Most Invasive Plants in the United States

Invasive plants may be beautiful or, in some instances, even a plus for wildlife.
But left unchecked, these plants canwreak havoc on your land and native plants.

One of my favorite techniques to catch big bass to do is flip big worms and jigs into hydrilla and milfoil on Guntersville Lake. Throwing a floating frog on top of matted vegetation also is a blast, despite the love-hate relationship with hookup ratios.

But these plants, and others in the aquatic and terrestrial world, are invasive monsters with myriad pros and cons. Hydrilla and milfoil give many species of fish a place to hide, relax, eat and grow. They also can overwhelm a lake, obscuring sunlight that helps with photosynthesis to kickstart the food chain. They also may grow so thickly that boating and recreation is harmed or negated. Some plants, such as hyacinth, may reproduce quickly enough to overwhelm a lake, as has happened in northwest Louisiana.

On land, one of the most common invasive plants is kudzu. It was intentionally introduced from Asia about 80 years ago in the Southeast to help control erosion. It did a dang fine job of that, as the deep-rooted kudzu plants took hold in the region. Its broad, tough leaves and snaking vines can grow several inches a day. It doesn’t need great soil; that’s good to curb erosion, but bad for landowners and on public lands. Kudzu overwhelms everything, engulfing trees and even structures. I’ve seen barns and abandoned homes in Mississippi and Alabama covered in kudzu.

The thing about kudzu is it laughs at control measures. Blitz it with herbicide or fire and it appears to die. But the deep, large tubers wait to return, and usually do. It takes a monumental effort to eradicate kudzu and even then, it’s something landowners have to monitor. Kudzu and many other invasives are the STDs of the plant world. They may take some jabs and uppercuts before going down, but seemingly shake it off at the 9-count and come back for more.

 licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

 

Along with kudzu, here are some of the most common and pervasive invasive plants in the United States:

— English Ivy, which we often see growing in ornamental gardens or covering walls of buildings. It may be beautiful in a classic way, but it holds fast on textured surfaces and is difficult to eradicate.

— Wisteria, which has gorgeous white or purple blooms draping off its thick vines. I planted one once in a flower bed near a stunning dogwood. After the wisteria began snaking under our siding and gutters, it took a lot of sweat, a shovel and a jug of glyphoshate to kill it. Our dogwood died, too. Bad decision on my part. Wisteria has stunning runway looks combined with the evil heart of kudzu.

— Barberry, which is prohibited in many areas and also creates a haven for ticks

— “Butterfly Bush” is a popular landscaping plant in the Southeast. We have two in our yard. I’ve hacked them up like Edward Scissorhands and they keep coming back. A neighbor has a couple that are trimmed well, and look gorgeous. But left unchecked they can go rogue.

— Purple loosestrife runs wild if left alone and can quickly overtake its surroundings, choking native vegetation.

— Norway maples grow tall and strong, creating shade and gorgeous colors in autumn. Their seeds spin, blow and settle to create headaches.

— Japanese honeysuckle may elicit thoughts of charming, cool evenings with an aromatic scent wafting on gentle breezes. This plant can become a serial killer of natives, though.

— Callery pear trees may be in my top three of hated invasives, as they are for many in the Southeast and elsewhere. For years they were planted as inexpensive landscaping options by private and public landowners. They have a tremendous crown but a weak trunk, often leading eventually to split or toppled trees that can damage structures or vehicles. They have a monstrous amount of thick leaves that in autumn is a massive headache. They reproduce like a coven of rabbits with an endless supply of little blue pills. And when cut, the roots throw up shoots in an effort to grow anew. They are horrible, terrible trees that should be banned and removed forever.

— Thistle appears like a ghost, with spiky leaves and stems topped by a purple bloom. Pretty, right? And then the seeds disperse similar to a dandelion. Before long you have thistle everywhere. They don’t discriminate against the land, either. I carefully pluck them from our flower beds and give ‘em a direct shot of glyphosphate.

— Another invasive making inroads in the Southeast is cogon grass. Imagine thick clumps of tough leaves with blooms akin to cattails or dandelions that disperse in the wind. Before long, cogon has taken control similar to kudzu. Burning doesn’t kill it. You can’t just disc it under with a tractor, either. Similar to kudzu, it takes a combination of herbicides, fire and continuous effort to try to reign it in, along with constant monitoring.

I equate invasive plants, terrestrial and aquatic, to feral pigs. It may sound cool to have feral pigs on your property or on public land to have hunting opportunities. But you don’t want them. You don’t want cogon or kudzu or callery pears, or hydrilla or primrose in your lake or pond. The juice isn’t worth the squeeze, because your hands and arms will get tired of the amount of squeezing needed.

How to Control?

First, if you have any of these and want to get rid of them, it’s going to take time, money and continuous effort. You don’t just chop down a butterfly bush or cogon or callery pear and it’s done. You can search online for the best ways to control a specific invasive and go from there. Or perhaps contact your state agricultural extension service or conservation department for advice. Both agencies have experts who can assist. They don’t like invasives any more than we do.

If you don’t have any of these, or other invasive plants known in your area, get educated about them. Learn about the most common plants in your state. Most states have an invasive species index for terrestrial and aquatic plants and animals. Learn how to accurately identify these plants, and then begin digging into the information. Scads of information exist to learn what’s native and invasive, and how to keep the latter from encroaching on your property.

If you need to put on the black hooded cloak of death and get busy, make it a priority. You don’t want to find a callery pear or two growing somewhere and shrug it off. Before long you’ll have more, and the minimal headache of removing one or two becomes a huge problem.

Biological control methods, such as goats or cows, might be an option. Goats are eating machines. It would take some effort to establish a corral, and then move it after they’ve mowed down what you want, but they’re effective. You can read more about using goats here.

Chemical control can be highly effective. It comes with a financial cost, of course, and may require more than one treatment. Herbicides such as Roundup get the job done. Follow the directions for use carefully.

Mechanical control involves cutting, tilling, mowing, girdling tree trunks or other methods of disturbing and removing vegetation. The “hack and squirt” method to kill trees is common. Girdle or hack a notch into a tree trunk, and then douse with herbicide. For smaller trees it’s more quickly effective. For larger ones, it may take more than one time. If you’re cutting trees but leaving a stump, shoots will quickly pop up to regenerate. Cut and then douse with herbicide or salt (less expensive!) to curtail regeneration.

Prescribed burning is a great way to help control invasive plants. Fire is beneficial in many ways. It can rejuvenate the soil after removing the leaf litter. It helps kill and curtail ticks. Invasive species may need more attention after prescribed burning, but it’s a great way to have multiple benefits to your property. Seek assistance from qualified professionals before burning, along with all the proper permits or permissions.

Eradicating or controlling invasive species is a never-ending battle. Even when you’ve achieved success, you’ll still be looking for a return. Invasives are like champion fighters. They’re always looking for a rematch.

Article by Alan Clemons 

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