By Pat Dray
The Garden Spot
Pat Dray
You’ve probably heard a lot about invasive plants and insects lately, so let’s start with what they are. An invasive plant, animal or insect is a species that is not indigenous and grows quickly and vigorously due to the absence of natural predators.
Why does that matter? The short answer is that invasives disrupt the ecosystem.
Ecosystems are the interactions of all the living and non-living parts of a given area. They develop and change very slowly – for example, current ecosystems evolved over the past 18,000 years since the last ice age. Invasives disrupt and disturb the interaction of species that coexist in a particular ecosystem and can reduce the economic value of land and water. Preventing this disruption has been important enough that three presidential executive orders have been issued since 1977 and created a National Invasive Species Information Center that is part of the US Department of Agriculture.
Invasive species typically do not have natural enemies that would keep them in check in their natural environment. They are able to “take over” and disrupt the ecosystem. Native plants can be overwhelmed (invaded) and may not survive. Valuable habitats for other species are destroyed.
One invasive that we see along the roads here in Connecticut is purple loosestrife, a very showy plant with bright purple flowers arranged on flower spikes that is native to Eurasia. It was introduced here in the early 1800s as a decorative plant in gardens but has now become so prevalent that it is degrading wetlands that hundreds of species of plants, birds, mammals, reptiles, insects, fish and amphibians rely on for survival. The extensive root systems of these purple flowers has literally choked out the habitats with an estimated economic impact in the millions of dollars.
Now that invasives are here, what strategies can we use to reduce the damage? First off, don’t buy or plant invasives. Choose a native plant instead. For example, if you love the look of purple loosestrife, plant liatris or lobelia, two plants native to North America. If you already have loosestrife on your property either pull or dig it out, being sure to take out all the roots. Do not throw the plants on your compost pile, but bag them and take them to the transfer station with other refuse. If you can’t dig them out, cut the flower spikes off so that they can’t go to seed. Again, bag them and dispose them.
We also have a tremendous amount of oriental bittersweet, which is a fast-growing vining plant that can take down entire trees under its weight. Follow the same strategy to remove that if the vine is still young. They can grow as thick as your arm, and then you’ll just need to saw it down to the ground and dig out its bright orange root.
If you’d like to learn more about invasive plants, please visit https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Invasive-Species/Invasive-Species.
Pat Dray is a past president of the Orange Garden Club.