In the early 1900s, the U.S. Soil Erosion Service distributed 85 million seedlings of kudzu over 3 million acres of sloped embankments to prevent erosion. While the initial intention probably seemed like a good idea, other issues took precedence over maintaining the weed, which quickly took over everything in its path. According to a recent article in Raleigh’s major newspaper, officials wanting to increase the production of biofuels in the South are planning to start mass plantings of another aggressive and invasive weed: Arundo.
Filed under: Invasive plants, Invasive species, Weed Control | Tagged: arundo, bamboo, biofuels, domestic fuel, ethanol, giant reed, invasive weeds, kudzu | 1 Comment »
Often the plants that are the cheapest at the garden store are not always the easiest to maintain. According to the Wilmington Star, some residents in Wilmington are seeking an ordinance to prevent the planting of running bamboo, an attractive plant sold at garden stores. In the right conditions and not properly pruned, the plant can spill over into other yards, as a homeowner at Carolina Beach discovered after she returned from a long assignment out of town.
Filed under: Invasive plants | Tagged: bamboo, gardening, gardening with natives, Invasive plants, multiflora rose, purple loosestrife, tree of heaven | Leave a Comment »
Mosquitoes are notoriously non-discriminate; they will take a blood meal wherever they can get one. They prefer areas that are marshy or full of puddles because they have ready-made places to lay eggs. A house that isn’t protected with pesticides means that entry and exit is easier.
Filed under: Insects, Invasive plants, Invasive species | Tagged: Concern nurseries, Concern Worldwide, Invasive plants, Lantana, Lantana camara, malaria prevention, mosquito cotrnol, Ngara, Tanzania | Leave a Comment »
I’d like to preface this post with a disclaimer that not all perspectives presented in this blog necessarily represent the viewpoints of Southern Region IPM Center staff. I often present different sides of various issues to balance perspectives and to promote healthy scientific discussion, and this is one of those times.
Filed under: Invasive plants, Invasive species, Weed Control | Tagged: home and away, invasive weeds, native enemies, predict abundant species | Leave a Comment »
In Friday’s OpEd section in the New York Times, writer Hugh Raffles offered an interesting–but somewhat inaccurate–view on exotic invasive species. His premise was that invasive species can provide diversity and benefits to the earth, just as new immigrants contribute to the diversity and health of society. You can read the full article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/03/opinion/03Raffles.html?_r=2
Filed under: Invasive plants, Invasive species | Tagged: native species, nature's melting pot, NY times article invasive | Leave a Comment »
If you live in the South, chances are that you’ve seen Chinese tallow tree (Triadica sebifera). Its 60-foot presence is hard to miss. During a cool autumn, its bright red and yellow leaves steal the show from any maple or oak. The exotic tree has settled in nine states in the South, from North Carolina to Texas, and in California. A 2010 report by the USDA Forest Service states that tallow tree is becoming a serious threat in the Delta and could muscle out native plants and change the landscape of coastal forests of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
Filed under: Invasive plants, Invasive species, Weed Control | Tagged: Dirty Dozen, Invasive trees, tallow tree | Leave a Comment »
Invasive plants have long been cast as exotic villains of a community, snuffing out native resident plants and establishing roots, so to speak, that are difficult to eradicate. Recently scientists in the Midwest have discovered that one such nuisance plant—invasive honeysuckle—also increases the risk of tick-borne diseases.
Filed under: Insects, Invasive plants, Invasive species, Urban IPM, Weed Control | Tagged: ehrlichiosis, honeysuckle and disease, honeysuckle and ticks, invasive species and ticks, lone star tick, southern tick-associated rash illness, STARI | Leave a Comment »
Water hyacinth control had evaded land managers for many years and choked the life out of lakes and ponds. In the late 1990s, researchers from Florida discovered that the aquatic weed could be most effectively controlled through integrated pest management.
Filed under: Invasive plants, Invasive species, Weed Control | Tagged: biocontrol and invasive species, invasive aquatic species, using herbicides on invasive species, water hyacinth | Leave a Comment »
