ODA INVASIVE PLANTS UPDATE Kyle Natorp, Natorp's Inc. Lythrum salicaria, purple loosestrife, is invasive in Ohio
As ONLA’s representative on the ODA Invasive Plants Advisory Committee below is an update on the committee’s proceedings. In January, 2018, the Ohio Department of Agriculture established new rules prohibiting the sale and distribution of invasive plants in the state of Ohio. Further, as directed in chapter 901:5-30 of the Ohio revised code, the rules establish a committee designed to advise ODA on matters regarding invasive plants. The committee has met a total of four times beginning in May of 2018. In the initial meeting, several grammatical and nomenclature changes were recommended by the committee to the original rule. The committee recommended that Japanese Knotweed be added as well. To date, the rule has not gone through the rule making process and therefore nothing has changed. It is expected that these changes to the rule will become effective sometime next spring assuming they all make it through the rule changing process.
In addition, the Ohio Invasive Plant Council has also submitted a list of species they would like added to the invasive plant list based on the results of OIPC's Plant Assessment Protocol. Several of these, if deemed illegal to sell, would be problematic to the nursery industry, including Berberis thunbergii (Japanese Barberry), Euonymus fortune (Wintercreeper), and Miscanthus sinensis (Chinese Silvergrass). The rule allows for the exemption of specific cultivars and the committee has discussed how to handle this but has not come to a consensus as to the process. Currently, there is little research that is addressing specific cultivars versus species that the committee could use to support specific exemptions. I see this as critical in protecting the industry as we move forward. Over the next few years, there will be continued pressure to add species to the ODA invasive plant list that are more important to the nursery industry. B
Since this initial meeting, the committee voted to recommend adding the following species to the ODA invasive species list: Ulmus pumila (Siberian elm), Ligustrum vulgare (Common privet), Persicaria perfoliate (Mile-a-minute), Ampelopsis brevipedunculata (Porcelainberry), Morus alba (White mulberry), Paulownia tomentosa (Princess tree), and Phalaris arundinacea (Canary reed grass). These additions would be recommended as a rule change late next year and, if approved, would not make it into the ODA invasive species list until sometime in 2022 or beyond. The ODA Invasive Plants Advisory Committee had its most recent meeting on Thursday, October 8. The committee chose not to discuss any additions to the list so as not to delay the rule changes already recommended.
onla.org
Contact Kyle at kylenatorp@natorp.com
November/December 2020
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