Won a small battle in the war against invasives

[Joe Dupre']

I went for a walk this morning on a pretty pathetic excuse for a two-track road next to a swamp. Ha! EVERYWHERE I walk in my neck of the woods is next to a swamp. I came across several small Chinese Tallow seedlings and pulled them from the soft ground- getting the majority of the tap root. Chinese Tallow are highly invasive in our area. Once they get a foothold, there's almost no stopping them. After pulling those, my eye kept on homing in on them. I kept pulling and walking until I got to the end of the two track. I returned and found a few that I had missed. In all, I figure I pulled between 50 and 75. Will it stop the spread? No. Will it slow it down.........at least in that area? I'd have to say "Yes".

 

[jeremy_norbury]

And can they be made into bonsai, is the big question?

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

If I pulled all the invasives here, I'd have no green left. Here buckthorn is the big invasive shrub or tree. But norway maple is also invasive here, almost never see sugar maple any more, all replaced by Norway maple. Buckthorn is everywhere.

 

[Mikecheck123]

When I was a kid my dad saw me swatting flies outside. He told me I was wasting my time.

But in my mind, every kill was actually offing trillions of their future descendants.

You're all quite welcome.

 

[AJL]

Here in Britain we have more than our fair share of invasive plants which now dominate many of our waterways, lakes and river valleys ecosystems, including
Canadian Pondweed
Himalayan Balsam
Japanese Knotweed
Giant Hogweed
New Zealand Stonecrop
Water pennywort
Skunk Cabbage
etc etc etc
All introduced by the garden plant trade -thanks very much!

 

[Hartinez]

If I pulled all the invasives here, I'd have no green left. Here buckthorn is the big invasive shrub or tree. But norway maple is also invasive here, almost never see sugar maple any more, all replaced by Norway maple. Buckthorn is everywhere.

Yup. Siberian elm is a huge nuisance here, but if rethought our tune can be changed to appreciate these low water fast growing and hearty trees. Much if Albuquerque and Santa Fe’s canopy would disappear over night if wiped out.

Rethinking the dreaded Siberian elm

Ben Wright, an arborist and chairman of the Taos Tree Board, said Siberian elms uniquely adapt to the Southwestern landscape, needing little space or water to grow, while able to

www.santafenewmexican.com

 

[Joe Dupre']

Yup. Siberian elm is a huge nuisance here, but if rethought our tune can be changed to appreciate these low water fast growing and hearty trees. Much if Albuquerque and Santa Fe’s canopy would disappear over night if wiped out.

Rethinking the dreaded Siberian elm

Ben Wright, an arborist and chairman of the Taos Tree Board, said Siberian elms uniquely adapt to the Southwestern landscape, needing little space or water to grow, while able to

www.santafenewmexican.com

My wife and I vacationed in Santa Fe 3 times and , yes, Siberian elms were everywhere. The day we left (2019) I plucked a tiny 3" long seedling with one lone white root from a window box and wrapped it in a wet paper towel. I planted it and now it's an 18" tall sapling with a bit less than a 3/4" base. I do the hedge pruning method on it 2-3 times a year and it has decent ramification.

 

[Joe Dupre']

And can they be made into bonsai, is the big question?

Yes! I had one the first year as a rank bonsai beginner. No access to the internet then, so I just winged it. It seemed to ramify fairly well. I've read that they are not a long-lived tree, though.

 

[Michael P]

When I see invasive plants, I think of slasher movies. Kill and kill again!

 

[rockm]

Wisteria, bamboo, honeysuckle, Bradford pear, English ivy, Paulownia, porcelain berry and bittersweet are big issues here, Kudzu is a plague

 

[Tieball]

@Joe Dupre' Sounds like you need to pocket some leather work gloves along on your walks.

 

[Joe Dupre']

@Joe Dupre' Sounds like you need to pocket some leather work gloves along on your walks.

Leather gloves and my favorite tool.....a Hori Hori knife. The perfect tool for finger-sized and smaller saplings.

 

[jradics]

Wisteria, bamboo, honeysuckle, Bradford pear, English ivy, Paulownia, porcelain berry and bittersweet are big issues here, Kudzu is a plague

ALL THOSE THINGS INFEST THE ATLANTA AREA TOO.

 

[cbroad]

Tree of Heaven anyone? Tons around my area... host plant to the Spotted Lanternfly which is being seen down here now...

Smells disgustingly like nut-butter

 

[Joe Dupre']

ALL THOSE THINGS INFEST THE ATLANTA AREA TOO.

I remember going up towards Birmingham 20 plus years ago and the mimosa trees were everywhere.

 

[BrightsideB]

ALL THOSE THINGS INFEST THE ATLANTA AREA TOO.

Kudzu is terrible. It eats patches of the forest. It is crazy!

 

[dancing with butterflies]

Buckthorn


At first it was wanted...... hay it came from a distant land.... grew well.... looked well. We failed to understand. The go to shrub for all types and seasons.


we had as above stated our silly little reasons.

Never mind its messy toxic berries said 1830s nersherymen it'll stay in your yard.

Yeah buckthorn was the answer it spread like cancer. Birds ate the berries spreading seed far and wide a reminder of our sin to those who abide


the other native shrubs stood not a chance there's was death and dying a fleeting romance.

forever voulenteers shall pull buckthorn out and when there all done the millions shall sprout.

 

[Srt8madness]

Chinese Tallows make up 23% of the trees here in South Texas (greater Houston area). Loblolly pines and 2nd at 19%. The tallow trees were introduced by the government (surprise) then unsurprisingly spread into the wild, poisoning the soil and anything which tries to eat it.

 

[Cajunrider]

I went for a walk this morning on a pretty pathetic excuse for a two-track road next to a swamp. Ha! EVERYWHERE I walk in my neck of the woods is next to a swamp. I came across several small Chinese Tallow seedlings and pulled them from the soft ground- getting the majority of the tap root. Chinese Tallow are highly invasive in our area. Once they get a foothold, there's almost no stopping them. After pulling those, my eye kept on homing in on them. I kept pulling and walking until I got to the end of the two track. I returned and found a few that I had missed. In all, I figure I pulled between 50 and 75. Will it stop the spread? No. Will it slow it down.........at least in that area? I'd have to say "Yes".

Last week when I was slogging in the swamp. I came across several good size tallow trees growing right in the swamp water. That will show you how tough those trees are. Next to those tallow trees are small BCs that were struggling to stay alive under their shade. It took a while but I cut down all those tallow trees. Hopefully the BCs will grow faster once the tallow trees are gone.