Invasive Plants
Invasive plants are non-native plants that disturb the native environment or cause harm. Invasives can crowd out or harm native plants or humans. Characteristics of plants classified as invasive (or potentially invasive) to CT are:
- the ability to establish new plants and grow rapidly under a wide variety of site conditions
- a high reproductive rate
- the ability to disperse wide distances - often by the spreading of vegetative fragments as well as seeds
- the lack of the natural controls on growth and reproduction that would be found where the invader is native
Homeowners and preseve stewards should be familiar with the list of invasive plants. Measures to eliminate them in the environment and identify new threats should be taken. It is important to note that several of the invasive plants are not banned for sale; homeowners should take extreme care not to buy and plant anything on the Invasives Plant list. How many of us have a Burning Bush or a Japanese Barberry planted in our landscape? And even banned plants can be purchased by mail order. The following are links to important information sources for invasive plants and alternatives:
- CT Invasive Plants by Type of Plant
- CT Invasive Plants Alpha List
- Gardening with Native Plants (CT Botanical Society)
- CT Invasive Plants Working Group Web site
- Brochure: Invasive Plants in Your Backyard! A Guide to Their Identification and Control (Published by Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District, Inc.)
- Brochure: CT's Invasive Aquatic and Wetlands Plants Identification Guilde (Published by the CT Agricultural Experiment Station)
UConn and the DEP are asking citizens to be on the alert for the "Mile-a-Minute" vine and report sightings so it can be eradicated before it becomes a significant problem.
Here are links to some important information about this vine:
Pest Alerts
The Asian Longhorned Beetle, native to parts of Asia, is believed to have arrived in North America in the wooden packing material used in cargo shipments from China. It has caused extensive damage to trees in New York, Illinois and New Jersey, and has recently been reported in Worcester, Mass. According to the US Forestry Service, "Trees favored by the Asian Longhorned Beetle are predominantly maples, but infestations have also been discovered in horsechestnuts, poplars, willows, elms, mulberries and black locusts. Currently, there is no known chemical or biological defense against the Asian Longhorned Beetle and, in North America, they have few natural predators. In all cases of infestation, the affected trees are cut down and the wood destroyed".
Citizens are being asked to be on the alert for this pest in CT and report any sightings.
Here are some links to information about this pest and reporting information:
The Northeast Plant Diagnostic Network has "first detector" training that focuses on preventing the spread of new pests and plant diseases in CT. Click here for a link to the training or to sign up for the "first detector newsletter."
Here are some links to additional information about destructive pests: