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“You’re Not Welcome Here” RIDDING THE GARDEN OF INVASIVE SPECIES By Janice F. Booth With a new year before us, you may be organizing, clearing out the detritus that collects in closets, desk drawers, and cupboards. Let me suggest that while you’re in this frame of mind, it’s a good time to plan for some spring cleaning of unwanted and unnecessary stealthy invaders of your garden. Look over your garden notes, your photos, and memories of last year’s garden. Where were the trouble spots? What got out-of-hand? Let me review with you some of the unwelcome or troublesome invasive plants that you’ll want to keep an eye on or eliminate all-together if they show up in your garden.
Here’s a review of the characteristics, the types, and the most familiar of these sneaky invaders.
Types Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has come up with a WANTED List. You can print out your copy at Dnr. maryland.gov/wildlife/documents/invasive-plants. The DNR identifies two designations of invasive plants:
Characteristics Invasive plants can damage, even eliminate the healthy growth of other plants in your garden.
TIER ONE: These are plants which may not be sold and should be eradicated. (Bamboo and amur honeysuckle are examples). TIER TWO: Plants that may be sold but only with clear warnings to the buyers. They’re likely to grow out of control at the first opportunity. (Japanese wisteria and Scotch broom are examples).
Here’s how to identify them: Rapid growth and maturation Prolific seed production Successful seed dispersal, germination, and colonization. (I know; this sounds like something out of a low-budget Sci-Fi movie.)
Rampant vegetative spread. (That’s right; they are hardy plants and eager to spreadout in your flowerbeds… and beyond!) Out-compete native plants, syphoning off the moisture, nutrients, and sunlight from nearby plants.
This troublesome vegetation sneaks into your garden as seed, root, runner, or rhizome (sturdy stems that travel just below the surface, from which new shoots spring up) and proceeds to have its way with your garden. whatsupmag.com | January/February 2022 | What’s Up? Central Maryland
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