Invasives

Asiatic Bittersweet © Qwert1234 Introduction to the U.S: Asiatic bittersweet is an invasive vine that is native to China, Japan, and Korea It was brought into the United States in 1860 The vine was brought over as an ornamental plant It is often cut in the fall to be used for decoration. However, this typically causes an increase in the spread of the invasive  ( Oriental bittersweet - michigan State University ) © Andrew Sparks How it spreads/invades: Asiatic bittersweet grows very rapidly and unchecked which allows it to quickly outcompete other species The vine often wraps tightly around trees and shrubs, strangling them which prevents the flow of both water and nutrients throughout them Since it climbs trees, the weight of bittersweet may also cause the collapse of trees and pull others along with it  ( Crandall Park Trees ) © Jay Cross © Landman23 How to identify: Bittersweet can be identified by its vines spiraling up trees Its berries can also be used to identify the pla...

There has been a long history of Non-native plants in Massachusetts.   European settlers first introduced them in the early 1600s as garden plants such as clovers and dandelions.  As time went on more exotic plants were introduced and some of those exotic plants also were invasive in the area.  Some of the most common invasive plants that Massachusetts host today include: Japanese Barberry, Japanese Knotweed, Asiatic Bittersweet, and Winged Burning Bush.  In the 1990s the state created a prohibited plant list, that banned the sale of specific plants because they were invasive.  This list has been updated numerous times and can still be found on Mass.gov.  Currently, invasive species pose a large threat to the many different ecosystems that the state possesses.    Winged Burning bush                                    Japanese Barberry       ...