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Tag: invasive plants

Early April Leaves – A Non-Native Calling Card

Early April Leaves – A Non-Native Calling Card

I took a quick walk at Wareham Land Trust‘s Agawam River Trail after work today, enjoying the abundant late-day sunshine. Although signs of spring were seemingly everywhere, from the red-winged blackbirds calling in the nearby wetlands to the red maple flowers bursting in vibrant color, I did notice an interesting trend. At least five different plant species were pushing out new green leaves, but none of these were native.  Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) 2. Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora) 3. Shrub…

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Oriental bittersweet: Eradicate, Don’t Decorate

Oriental bittersweet: Eradicate, Don’t Decorate

Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) is a climbing deciduous woody vine that thrives in disturbed habitats (e.g., roadsides, forest edges, riverbanks, etc.). This plant can grow rapidly, shading out and/or strangling native plants, including mature trees. In the fall and winter, after the leaves have fallen away from the bittersweet vines and the surrounding vegetation, the bright three-sectioned red-orange fruits and their yellow outer “husks” can draw your attention from quite a distance. As the capsules dry, they hinge open, revealing…

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