Invasive Species
virtually_gardening/5120"> invasion of alien plants back in January 1998. It is a subject all too often overlooked. Many nurseries sell plants that are very aggressive without giving warning to prospective buyers of their habit. Russian-olive Elaeagnus angustifolia is one of them. A neighbor had one. Then another, and another and .... A lot of action with a saw finally corrected the problem. Other plants are problems only when in habitats that are favorable. I have not been able to keep Pennisetum setaceum ornamental grass over-wintering indoors at all. In Arizona, California and Hawaii it is a pest. There on a list of invasive alien plants were some of my own, Cotoneaster, Miscanthus sinensis, and Euonymus fortunei. What a surprise. They looked most benign to me, well, except for the Cotoneaster. That one requires almost constant clipping to keep it in check. The Miscanthus is not a problem in my state, New York. Another potential problem plant is Bittersweet. I obtained some from my son Jeff as Kay likes their dried branches with brilliant seeds. Unfortunately the Bittersweet oriental, Celastrus orbiculatus which has its flowers distributed along the stems is much showier and worse than the native climbing vine, Celastrus scandens, which has flowers only at the tips.
Among a list of natural invaders to avoid was the Viburnum trilobum, identified as the European highbush cranberry in this link. Recommended as a replacement was the American highbush cranberry, Viburnum opulus var. americans in the same source. Now this is causing me a problem. " Years ago I purchased a Viburnum trilobum "Wentworth" at a local nursery as an American cranberry. I like it more than an adjacent Viburnum lantana "Mohican" as the trilobum's bright red fruit remains so throughout the winter rather than turning black after a short red phase as does the Mohican. Another puzzle is that the Mohican berries that fall sprout many new plants all around it while the seeds of the lantana do not. This latter shrub has just been hit with the viburnum leaf beetle. I think the previous link must have made an error in identification as The Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, Michael A. Dirr, Stipes Publishing Company, calls the Viburnum trilobum the American Cranberrybush Viburnum with "Wentworth" as a cultivar. This same book has the Viburnum opulus as the European Cranberrybush Viburnum and states that it is " "particularly rampant in wet and boggy situations". I feel relieved.
The Silver dollar, multiflora rose, Myrtle, and Queen Anne's Lace, the ubiquitous roadside flower, appear on the lists. Another item to watch out for is the tree
Latest Articles