Beautiful Invasive Species

Beautiful Invasive Species of VirginiaPhoto by: http://themysteriousworld.com/most-pleasant-smelling-flowers-in-the-world/What is an invasive species?A non-native species of plant (or animal) that invades a habitat, is able to reproduce and thrive, and as a result, pushes out the native flora and fauna.What threat do they pose?Ecological and economic harm by reducing biodiversity and changing the chemical and biological structure of the environment.Get to know invasive species. Check before you buy, many of these beautiful invasives are sold in stores and nurseries. Suspect an invasive nearby? Check the internet, or ask your local extension agent.

Photo from: http://www.4trend.ro/destinatii-de-vis-pentru-2014-4479/Wisteria floribundaJapanese WisteriaIntroduced from Japan to the U.S. in the 1830s as an ornamental. Wisteria floribunda is considered invasive throughout the Mid-Atlantic and southern US.A deciduous, woody vine that climbs trees, shrubs and man-made structures, the vine climbs in a counter-clockwise direction.

Vines are slender, brown and hairy when young. As the plant matures, it looses hair.Leaves are alternate, compound and vary in length from 8-12 inches, with 13-17 leaflets.

The vine flowers in April. Flowers are violet blue on long stalks. The vine fruits after flowering. Fruits are in velvet pods with 3-6 round, flattened seeds. Wisteria floribunda prefers full sun to partial shade and deep loamy and well drained soils. It can tolerate a variety of soils and therefore can be found in a variety of locations, including forest edges, roadsides and right-of-ways.The climbing vine wraps around native trees, tightening its grip and killing natives by girdling them (cutting into the bark). As native trees die, wisteria can further spread in the open areas, crowding out any other native species that might have taken root. (http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/midatlantic/wifl.htm)Chinese wisteria vines climb in a clockwise direction!

Photo from: http://acelticyear.blogspot.com/2015/05/35-yellow-flag-iris.htmlIris pseudacorusYellow Flag IrisNative to Eurasia and North Africa, the Yellow Flag Iris was introduced to the U.S. as an ornamental flower.It is found throughout the U.S., with the exception of the Rocky Mountains.Iris pseudacorus is an ornamental, aquatic perennial. The plant will grow up to 2-3 feet tall and is found in large clumps as yellow flowering plants. It reproduces by seed and rhizomes. Hundreds of plants can connected by a few rhizomes.The iris is found in aquatic environments, including wetlands, lake margins, slow rivers, and other shallows. It is a highly tolerant species, capable of surviving droughts, salinity and high soil acidity.Yellow Flag Iris is damaging to natural wetlands as it pushes out native species and reduces plant diversity, reducing habitat for aquatic species.

The plant is harmful to livestock and humans. Livestock may become sickened if they eat the plant (however, most livestock avoid the plant). The plant resin can cause a skin irritation for humans.

Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board. (2015). Yellow Flag Iris. [webpage].www.nwcb.wa.gov/detail.asp?weed=78. Accessed September 27, 2015.

Photo from: http://mkarroyo6.web.unc.edu/files/2011/04/pretty-loosestrife.jpgLythrum salicariaPurple LoosestrifePurple loosestrife, a native of Eurasia, was brought to the northeastern U.S. and Canada in the 1800s as an ornamental and medicinal plant.According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, lythrum salicaria is now found throughout the entire U.S., except Florida.Purple loosestrife is an erect perennial with a square woody stem covered with downy hair. The plant will grow up to 4-10 feet high and produces magenta flower spikes. A mature plant will have 30-50 stems per root stock and can produce up to 2-3 million seeds per year. The plant spreads by seed, but also by underground rhizomes.The plant prefers aquatic conditions and may be found in thickets in wetlands (including fresh water, tidal and non-tidal wetlands), river and stream banks, pond edges, roadside ditches and water reservoirs.Lythrum salicaria is invasive to wetlands and waters of the U.S.. It has the capability to rapidly establish itself in disturbed areas and may further encroach upon neighboring habitats. The plant displaces native and endangered plants and provides little to no value to wildlife. (http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/midatlantic/lysa.htm)ello

Photo from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Rosa_multiflora#/media/File:Rosa_multiflora_1.jpgRosa multifloraMultiflora RoseA native of Japan, Korea and Eastern China, rosa multiflora, was brought to the eastern U.S. around 1866 as rootstock for ornamental roses.

In the 1930s, the U.S. Soil Conservation Service promoted the use of multiflora rose for hedgerows, or living fences to assist in erosion control by confining livestock.

Some states encouraged planting of multiflora rose for wildlife cover. Other state uses of the plant included crash barriers along highway medians, and to help reduce automobile headlight glare.Rosa multiflora is found throughout the eastern U.S., Washington and Oregon.Multiflora rose is a thorny, multi-stemmed shrub that produces clusters of showy fragrant flowers that are colored white or pink. The shrub flowers in May and produces fruits, or rosehips, thereafter. One plant can produce up to 1 million seeds per year. The shrub inhabits pastures, forest edges, roadsides and highway medians.Multiflora rose thickets push out native shrubs and herbs affecting native nesting grounds for birds. The shrub invades pasture and unplowed lands creating livestock grazing problems and affects other natural ecosystems.(http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/midatlantic/romu.htm)

Photo from: http://www.monrovia.com/plant-catalog/plants/71/ombrella-mimosa-tree/Albizia julibrissinMimosa or Silk TreeThe Silk Tree, or Mimosa, is a native of Asia and was introduced to the U.S. around 1745 as an ornamental.Albizia julibrissin is found throughout the eastern and southern U.S.Mimosa is a deciduous tree that can grow to 10-50 feet tall. It has fernlike leaves about 5-8 inches long. It blooms pink showy and fragrant flowers that resemble puffballs, or pompoms. Fruits are flat pods that grow 6 inches long and contain oval seeds. The tree reproduces by seed dispersal and through vegetative expansion.Albizia julibrissin prefers a location with full sun, but can tolerate a variety habitats. Its tolerant of variable soils and is often found along roadsides, vacant lots and stream beds. Its distribution is limited by cold and as a result is not found in northern states.Mimosa is a problem in riparian areas as it competes with native trees and shrubs, reducing sunlight and consuming soil nutrients. It can grow in dense thickets along forest edges and open fields. It colonizes by root sprouts. Seed dispersal by wind, water and animals makes it a widespread competitor. (http://www.na.fs.fed.us/fhp/invasive_plants/weeds/silk-tree-mimosa_.pdf)

Ficaria verna Fig ButtercupThe Fig Buttercup is a native to Eurasia, North Africa and Siberia. It was brought to the U.S. as an ornamental and is still sold commercially.Ficaria verna is found throughout the northeastern U.S. south to Tennessee and is found in Oregon. The Fig Buttercup is a perennial, succulent, flowering herb that completes its life cycle in the winter and spring. It has kidney or heart shaped leaves and buttery yellow symmetrical flowers. The flowers have a dark center and 8-12 petals. The plant flowers in early spring, often before other native flowers. When in full bloom, thickets of Fig Buttercup look like a green carpet with little yellow dots. Ficaria verna is found in low, open woodlands, along floodplains, in meadows and wastelands. It prefers sandy soils. The Fig Buttercup is a vigorous grower and flowers before native plants with similar life cycles. As it develops large dense patches, it shades out other sensitive native species, such as bloodroot, wild ginger, trout lilly, trilliums, Virginia Bluebells, among others. These natives provide fruits, seeds and nectar to a variety of wildlife and insects. With increasing thickets of Fig Buttercup, the native plant and animal communities suffer. (http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pdf/rafi1.pdf)Photo from: https://dukefarms.wordpress.com/2013/04/25/springephemeral/lesser-celandine/

Microstegium vimineumJapanese StiltgrassJapanese stiltgrass is a native of Japan, Korea, China, Malaysia and India. It was brought to the U.S. in 1919. It is reported that the plant was used as packing material for porcelain and escaped in Tennessee.Microstegium vimineum is found throughout the eastern U.S., from New York to Florida.Japanese stiltgrass is an annual, bamboo-like grass with pale, lance shaped leaves that can grow up to 2-3 feet in height. The grass spreads by seed and vegetation (rooting along the stem as it makes contact with soil). It readily germinates after disturbance. A single plant can produce anywhere from 100 to 1,000 seeds.Microstegium vimineum can be found almost anywhere where some kind of disturbance has occurred, natural or man-made. It will grow along riverbanks, floodplains, low forest floors, roadside ditches, pipeline and overhead utility right-of-ways. It can grow in full sun to deep shade and tolerates a variety of soil types, preferring moist, rich soil high in nitrogen.Japanese stiltgrass is an aggressive opportunist that thrives in disturbed areas and its thickets will displace the native understory, limiting biodiversity.(http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/midatlantic/mivi.htm)Photo from: http://hawkmountainiprp.blogspot.com/

Kudzu is a native of Asia and the Pacific. It was brought to the U.S. in 1876 as an ornamental presented at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. In the 1900s, it was used as a forage crop. Later, in the 1930s and 1940s, the Soil Conservation Service paid southern farmers to plant the crop in areas of disturbance and logged clear-cuts. As a result, approximately 1 million acres were planted in kudzu. In 1950 the plant was deemed a pest weed. In 1998 the U.S. Congress identified kudzu as a noxious weed.Pueraria montana var. lobata is found throughout the eastern U.S., North Dakota and Oregon.Kudzu is a vine that can climb 32 to 100 feet in length. It has fleshy roots with a potential tap root that can reach over 7 inches in diameter and grows over 6 feet deep. This tap root can weigh up to 400 pounds. One plant will produce up to 30 vines. It has deciduous lobed leaves and fragrant upright clusters of purple flowers. It produces brown hairy seed pods that contain up to 10 seeds per pod. Kudzu spreads by runners and rhizomes, making it difficult to control or eradicate.Kudzu can tolerate a variety of growing conditions and soil types. It prefers open sunny areas such as forest edges, vacant fields, abandoned lots, roadsides, and other disturbed areas. It grows in areas with mild winters and warm, wet summers.Kudzu is a vigorous grower that smothers and shades out native plants and trees. It kills trees by girdling. In addition, the heavy weight of the vines can cause damage to trees during storms and heavy snows. Anyone who has seen kudzu, knows it appears to consume everything in its path.(http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/midatlantic/pumol.htm)http://www.gardenista.com/posts/killer-kudzu-5-ways-to-defeat-the-vine-thats-eating-the-eastern-seaboardPueraria montana var. lobataKudzuReferences:

Swearingen, J., B. Slattery, K. Reshetiloff, and S. Zwicker. 2010. Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas, 4th ed. National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Washington, DC. 168pp.

USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Staff, Newtown Square, PA. WOW 12-13-04 Invasive Plants website: http://www.na.fs.fed.us/fhp/invasive_plants