After a long day of ridding their local forest of invasive species, this volunteer saw that one native plant had figured out how to fight back.
In early March, Audrey Berenson went out with a volunteer task force in Topsfield, Massachusetts, with the intention of identifying and removing invasive species. They shared their finds in a Facebook group for fellow enthusiasts and recounted their spoils: "Notable invasive finds were … good old Multiflora Rose, monocultures of Glossy Buckthorn, and tons of Oriental Bittersweet. We even found a few massive Autumn Olives, which are very satisfying to cut down."
Audrey turned to the group for help identifying a native tree that stood out. A picture of a malformed tree showed that whatever it was, it didn't need help removing an invasive oriental bittersweet vine. "Looks like the tree grew around the vine and choked it - the vine crumbled when I tried to cut it!" Audrey wrote.
Invasive species can be incredibly disruptive to ecosystems. As they compete with native plants for resources, they threaten native plants with extinction. Invasive species can also disrupt the patterns of pollinators, reducing biodiversity.
Invasive species can be challenging to remove from your yard and present major problems for homeowners. They can crowd out native plants, spread at rapid and undesirable speeds, and bring diseases that native plants have no protection from.
Landscaping with native species can save you a major headache, not to mention time and money. Native species don't require as much maintenance or water as non-native species, reducing your water bill and the costs of gardening.
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Even if you're not much of a gardener, turning a patch of lawn into a pollinator paradise by letting it rewild or sprinkling native wildflower seeds will have a lasting positive effect on the health of your soil, air, and ecosystem.
"A great work day indeed," one comment said.
"Awesome work," another comment read.
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