Invasive Trees and Shrubs
Welcome to week three of the Scavenger Hunt!
In this week’s Nature Invaders Weekly Digest, we talked about invasive trees and shrubs. Not receiving the weekly digest? Sign up here: http://eepurl.com/h4FSLf.
You may already be familiar with some invasive trees and shrubs, but others might surprise you. Buckthorn is a common and widespread invasive in our watershed. iNaturalist users in the watershed have reported nearly 250 observations. Often one of the first shrubs to leaf out in the spring and the last to lose its leaves in fall, buckthorn creates dense thickets that crowd out native plants.
A species you might be surprised to learn is invasive is the Norway maple. Although it looks similar to our iconic native maples, the Norway maple spreads quickly and reduces native plant diversity. It’s dense crown shades out lower canopy plants.
Other invasive trees and shrubs you should watch for include burning bush and non-native honeysuckles. Avoid planting these on your property. Choose flowering shrubs like smooth serviceberry, red-osier dogwood or chokecherry instead.
Weekly Observation
It looks like the most common observation people are making is Canada thistle. We're just starting to see these prickly plants pop their purple flowers. Considered a noxious weed in Ontario, these plants spread by seed and underground roots (or rhizomes), so it's important that you remove them before they flower and ensure you dig out all of the roots.
Weekly Challenge
Take an inventory of the trees and shrubs on your property. What native species did you find? Learn about what benefits they provide to local birds and pollinators. If you’ve discovered an invasive species, take a look at these best management practices and don’t forget to upload your findings to iNaturalist.
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