weeds gone wild
Flower or weed can be in the eye of the grower
by Dan Toland
The annual arrival of flowering plants such as teasel, honeysuckle and Queen Anne’s Lace is exciting for those who see opportunities to include them in floral arrangements, arts and crafts. But to others, they are foreign bullies, spreading their untamed roots throughout Ohio, overtaking native vegetation that once stood in their place.
More than 500 non-native, invasive plant species are naturalized in Ohio, whether by accident or intent.
Nationally, $100 billion to $200 billion is spent every year attempting to prevent their spread.
“Most homeowners would recognize some of these plants when looking over their own property if they were just informed,” said Jennifer Windus, president of the Ohio Invasive Plants Council. OIPC is one of just a few organized groups in the state with a goal of raising awareness of invasive plants and working to limit their sprawl.
“A lot of people buy these plants and don’t have any idea they are invasive,” Windus said, noting that some landscapers have sold some invasive species for years, not knowing the damage they could cause.
Once in the soil, these species spread from yards to other habitats, she said, sometimes affecting more than just native plant life. One such example includes a non-native purple loosestrife population, which ended up replacing all other species in a wetland system. The overabundance caused a change in the chemical composition of the water, which in turn affected algae and amphibians.
“I tell people that every small effort (to remove invasive plants), whether in their own yard or public land, or even informing landscapers of their dangers, is worthwhile,” Windus said.
Some unaware homeowners have even transplanted invasive species from their ditch to their yard, thinking an invasive species is the same as the not-as-aggressive counterparts sold at some stores. Most of the time it is just the opposite.
Theresa Kline, Outreach Committee member of the Iron Furnace Cooperative Weed Management Area in Lawrence and surrounding counties, is part of another group trying to curtail the spread of invasive plants.
Named in honor of the charcoal burning infernos that used to dot the area’s Appalachian terrain, Iron Furnace is Ohio’s first and only weed management area, having blossomed from Wayne National Forest’s efforts to map and control invasive species of non-native plants. The Iron Furnace Group, comprised of a team of federal, state, county, university and private organizations, is working to increase public awareness and develop a strategic invasive plant management plan. The group’s committees meet every three months in Jackson, continuing to shape its mission.
Kline said the organization uses field days as a tool to convey the importance of controlling the spread of foreign flora. A workshop in Ironton recently attracted 75 people, and more interest is being shown among potential partners.
Iron Furnace is currently developing brochures and a Web site and plans to apply for grants and other funding to develop its base. Kline’s vision for the group includes more organized field tours, workshops and coordinating activities with volunteer groups to assist in mapping and controlling invasive species in the Wayne National Forest area.
“These plants are being spread quickly via waterways, humans and birds,” she said. “If you don’t get some control over them, they will choke everything (else growing near them) out.”
Those interested in the Iron Furnace group are encouraged to contact the Ironton District office of the Wayne National Forest by calling 740-534-6500.
It is recommended that you remove non-native invasive species from your property and replace them with non-invasive alternatives. For a list of alternative plants and more information, here are two sources:
Nonnative replacements
Link to Invasive Plants Council homepage
Student Activity
Attention teachers and parents: See how this story connects to Ohio's academic content standards.
Be Wary of these Weeds
Here are some prominent invasive, non-native plants you may notice on your property during July and August:
Japanese Knotweed – also known as Mexican Bamboo, this shrub-like plant can be 10 feet tall and is found in waterway, stream and pond habitats.
Yellow & White Sweet – clover this plant is sometimes planted for forage and is found in open grasslands.
Autumn Olive – this plant, at one time planted by the Ohio Department of Transportation along roadsides, grows well in poor soils.
Peggy--this is Lynn from Our Ohio
I'll add these links back to the story--somehow they were deleted. For more information, here are two sources:
Nonnative replacements: http://www.oipc.info/Assets/Alternatives_to_Ohio_Invasive_Plant_Species.pdf
Link to Invasive Plants Council homepage: http://www.oipc.info/
Dan--- Good article. Wish I'd known so much of this before I tackled the multiflora rose--- I knew that one was a bad one--- and gotten so excited to see REAL honeysuckle growing near to the multiflora, and somehow DIDN'T see all the poison ivy that saw me. Should have been wary of that one.
Also, I'd done some reading elsewhere and found that the periwinkle that sounded so pretty that I ordered it from a nursery supply was another of the invasive plants. What's being done to keep these kind of plants from places where people like me can order them, plant them, and perpetuate them?
Best to you,
Your mother-in-law's neighbor