Invasives

How it was Introduced/Migrated  Introduced in the U.S. in 1875 as an ornamental plant, the Japanese Barberry is one of New England's most abundant invasive species. This plant can be found from North Carolina to Maine with the USDA saying it grows well in the hardiness range of 4 to 8. This plant is also sun and shade tolerant.  How it started to take over the ecosystem  Initially spreading as an ornamental, the Japanese Barberry is estimated to cover 4.6% - 6.5% of all forested land in Massachusetts. This number has gotten so high because the barberry can produce a prolific amount of seeds each year. These seeds are then dispersed mainly by birds eating them in residential yards.  Source: https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/bigstock-A-Red-Crimson-Japanese-Barberr-230607913-768x512.jpg  How to remove the invasive including case study  Mechanical control           According to Penn State educator Tim Abbey, the best way to re...

Winged Burning bush                                                                                                       How was Winged Burning bush introduced? Winged Burning bush is originally from Northeastern Asia, Japan, and Central China but was introduced to the U.S. around the 1860's. It was introduced as an ornamental plant and used for landscaping. This plant can grow in the sun or the shade and is very adaptable  How did they start to take over our ecosystem? While this invasive may look pretty, it brings a threat to many habitats.  Winged burning bush has high seed production and get dispersed by birds and other animals who eat the berries. It reduces the chance for native plants to grow in the understory ...

Japanese Knotweed Facts and Removal Techniques   How it was introduced/ migrated Introduced in late 1800s from East Asia to stabilize streambanks by Philipp Franz Balthasar von Siebold ( Shallcross) . He w ent on a 7-year journey studying medicine and collecting plants.  He was interested in Japanese plants and bringing Western medicine to Japan. Siebold was a  popular botanist who introduced this species as an ornamental .  Another use for this plant is erosion control (JSTOR).  © The Portugal News How it started to take over the ecosystem Seeds are papery and spread easily through wind and water ( Penn State Extension ). They are n ot too durable but the number of them compensates. Knotweed h as rhizomes that form an interconnected network underground (Gillies). Jap anese knotweed can re-root itself by having a piece of it breaking off and floated down a stream and colonizing new area (pervasive). There are  no predators or diseases an...