Invasive Plants of the Upper Midwest by Elizabeth J. Czarapata
One person's weed is another person's wildflower. Understanding this makes it possible to recognize the invasion of non-native plants. Treasured orchids and bromeliads grown with such care in greenhouses across North America are considered problems in some parts of the tropics. Dandelions so disliked in our lawns are cultivated in some regions. A weed is a plant that grows out of place, it doesn’t grow where we want it to, and it spreads everywhere we don’t want it to grow.
Invasive Plants of the Upper Midwest: An Illustrated Guide to their Identification and Control began as an attempt to help the author’s neighbors and friends recognize the invasive plants they were using in landscapes. It turned into an ambitious project. As author Elizabeth J. Czarapata dug deeper into the situation, she began to realize how serious the problem had become. “Slowly, but persistently, making their way across the land, ecologically invasive plants are the silent invaders of our times. They destroy three million acres each year in the United States, cost our society $35 billion annually, devour even our finest natural areas, and pose a major threat to restored areas and endangered species. Invasive plants affect us all. Farmers, suburban homeowners, and apartment dwellers face increasing costs for food and lumber production, while property values and recreational opportunities decline in areas where invasive species have taken hold.” They are a cause for extensive herbicide use in natural communities. I often struggle with which is the more damaging issue, the rapid growth and destruction caused by the invasive, out-of-control plant or the use of the herbicides. The author addresses the arguments (both sides), guidelines for convincing skeptics, and the history of invasive plants. At one time it was necessary for me to convince board members and volunteers that a cluster of strikingly beautiful Vitex trees absolutely had to be removed from the property. There were some volatile arguments from these nature-loving colleagues. The trees had a lot of desirable traits. They required little attention, they flowered during the heat of an Austin summer, and they created an attractive entrance along a driveway. In the end, democracy lost and I had them removed. Why? I had a survey conducted on these plants that involved walking downstream. In the process of exploring the sides of a creek that flowed through a natural area my land manager and I discovered a serious invasion of these trees underway. They were reducing valuable riparian habitat for native plants, plants that were necessary to support the native wildlife (especially the endangered birds). The Vitex had to go and it took us years to remove them. But they were attractive and required little effort. Vitex were also showing up in other areas (thanks to the birds) along with Nandina shrubs and other non-native, invasive plants. This is why the author decided to write this guide. In her second chapter she addressed control techniques, integrated vegetation management (IVM) and provided general guidelines for this process. As with integrated pest management, the key step in the process is to know the enemy and monitor the plant. She recommended prioritizing areas for invasive plant control and made general recommendations for controlling herbaceous and woody plants. She described the use of fire, herbicides, biological control, grazing, and weeding (with tools). She provided a rather detailed description of possible herbicides for controlling serous invasions. She pointed out that in a perfect world, “chemicals would never be needed to control invasive plants. But this is not a perfect world, and the risks of using herbicides must be weighed against the mounting negative effects that invasive plants are having on natural areas and other areas of importance. The decision to use an herbicide is much like deciding whether to use an antibiotic against a virus….For all practical purposes, some invasive plants cannot be controlled without the use of herbicides." Therefore, before applying any herbicides: Read the entire label before purchasing and before using. It’s a legal document that must be read. It provides safety information for the user and the environment. Read and follow the directions for transporting, storing, mixing, loading, and applying any herbicides. Prevent herbicide drift. Select the herbicide most appropriate for the plant and apply only what is required. She listed and described the more commonly used herbicides with comments. I further recommend that if your project is large, notify authorities and neighbors before applying and work with a certified, licensed professional applicator with experience in natural area application techniques. Many of these plants are happily invading all parts of the country, but her book focuses on the upper Midwest region that includes Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. Some of the southern parts of these states, especially Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, have major problems with kudzu. After the introductory chapters, the book is divided into the following: ▪ Invasive Plants of Major Concern
(Some plants included in this chapter are autumn olive, exotic honeysuckle, non-native buckthorn, black locust, multiflora rose, oriental bittersweet, garlic mustard, spotted knapweed, Canada thistle, crown vetch, leafy spurge, bird’s-foot trefoil, purple loosestrife, and others.) ▪ Invasive Plants of Lesser Concern (Some plants included in this chapter are Norway maple, tree-of-heaven, Japanese barberry, Eurasian privet, white mulberry, myrtle, wintercreeper, common burdock, creeping bellflower, Eurasian thistle, lily-of-the-valley, creeping Charlie, baby’s breath, orange daylily, and more). ▪Potential Problem Species (Some of these are far worse in other parts of the country. Scotch broom, saltcedar/tamarix, porcelain berry, fiveleaf akebia, English ivy, Japanese honeysuckle, kudzu, Grecian foxglove, giant lupine, yellow garden loosestrife, purpletop verbena, and more.) ▪Native Plants that Sometimes Need Control (Some opportunistic native plants can become unmanageable and aggressive. They need to be monitored and some of the plants include boxelder, honey locust, osage orange, sumac, raspberry, Virginia creeper, dodder, poison ivy, wild grapes, yellow nutsedge, ragweed, goldenrod, and many others.) ▪Ecological Restoration, Education and Community Action (The author briefly identifies efforts for each currently taking place throughout the region.) Within each of the above chapters the plants are individually described with photograph assists. Each description includes the physical appearance, habitat, leaves, flowers, root system, reproduction, and recommended control. Invasive plants of major concern have detailed descriptions on control methods. She concluded the book with an appendix on resources for further information, resources to help with general plant identification, regional resources for natural landscaping and ecological restoration, a glossary, a matrix of invasive, non-native plants of the upper Midwest and an index. The book is an 8 1/2 x 11 format, it's not a field guide. My Thoughts In reading through the above lists of plants I will guarantee that some will express disbelief and resistance to removing their plants. Multiflora roses are beautiful in the spring—I’ll be the first to agree. However, they are literally choking out native plants everywhere. Herbaceous plants can’t get enough light or water to grow, native woody plants can’t germinate let alone grow under the rose canopy. Loosestrife is a beautiful plant that will spread in your garden—but it spreads all over the landscape quickly taking over places you may never see. This book, Invasive Plants of the Upper Midwest, should be considered a valuable planning tool for anyone involved in land restoration, regardless of the project’s size. I recommend this for gardeners who are interested in a more responsible approach and want to reduce their contributions to the invasive plant battle. There are many well-behaved non-native plants that will only grow in cultivation and with that statement, she is not supporting native-plant-only gardens. She recommends knowing your plants and knowing the invasive plants (know the enemy). We both recommend this book as an essential tool for land managers, property owners, gardeners, farmers, and educators involved in land restoration. I further recommend this book for any wholesale or retail nursery operator. This book was the winner of the Wisconsin Council on Invasive Species 2005 Invader Crusader Award. The author was the director of the WeedOut Program in Milwaukee, a member of the Wild Ones Natural Landscapers and the Invasive Plants Association of Wisconsin. She was the founder of the Wind Lake Environmental Club. She is also a teacher and has created a curriculum on invasive plants.
Originally published on Epinions at www.epinions.com/user-pestyside. © pestyside, 2009 |
 |
