Mile-A-Minute: Invasion of the Aliens

What lives in the Blue Hills, grows 6 inches a day and is destroying the habitat of our native species? Join DCR Forestry Assistant Alexandra Echandi for a talk about Mile-a-Minute, an invasive weed recently identified in the Blue Hills. Learn how to identify, report and help control the spread of this and other invasive plants.

The lecture will be held on Saturday, February 27 at 9am in the Trailside Museum Auditorium in Milton, MA. Call 617-698-1802 x219 to register.

Can't make the talk? Download our mile-a-minute flyer and learn to tell this invasive plant apart from similar species.

Invasive plants in holiday decorations

State environmental officials are urging consumers to avoid invasive plants in holiday decorating.

With the holiday season fast approaching, the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (DAR) and the Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Fish and Wildlife (MassWildlife) are urging homeowners and holiday decorators to beware of invasive plants that may be used in holiday wreaths and garlands.

“Many invasive plants serve as beautiful holiday decor, but these plants are a serious threat to the integrity of native biodiversity in the Commonwealth,” said DAR Commissioner Scott Soares. “Consumers should be conscious of which species are problematic.”

The two most common invasive plants used in holiday wreaths and garlands are Oriental Bittersweet and Multiflora Rose. While both plants are attractive, they can cause severe environmental damage by invading open fields, forests, wetlands, meadows and backyards, and crowding out native plants. Oriental Bittersweet is known to kill mature trees through strangling, and multiflora rose can form impenetrable thickets that keep out native plant species. Both species are difficult to control because even when the plants are cut, remaining segments in the ground will re-sprout. The placement of wreaths and garlands outdoors or disposing of them in compost piles can lead to new infestations when the fruits on these decorations are broadcast onto the soil. Birds and other animals also eat the fruit from wreaths and garlands and deposit seeds elsewhere.

Under Massachusetts law, it is illegal to import or sell Oriental Bittersweet or Multiflora Rose in any form (plants or cuttings) in the state.

To control the spread of invasive species, Massachusetts developed a Prohibited Plant List, which bans the importation and sale of more than 140 plants identified as either noxious or invasive in the Commonwealth. The complete list, which was established in 2006, can be found on the Department of Agricultural Resources web site.

The list of plants was developed in collaboration with the Massachusetts Invasive Plant Advisory Group (MIPAG). MIPAG members represent research institutions, non-profit organizations, green industry businesses and associations, and state and federal agencies. The list is a product of scientific analysis, and represents the scientific consensus of groups and individuals with a broad range of perspectives on the subject of invasive plants.

The Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, a division of MassWildlife, has also produced A Guide to Invasive Plants in Massachusetts. The book, which costs $5, includes photos and detailed descriptions for more than 60 invasive plants.

Photo of Oriental bittersweet wreath by Courtnay Janiak via Flickr

Pest Alert: Mile-a-minute vine

Mile-a-minute vine (Polygonum perfoliatum), an invasive vine native to eastern Asia, has been confirmed in two new counties in Massachusetts.

Also known as "devil's tail" or "Asiatic tear-thumb," mile-a-minute vine was first discovered in Massachusetts in 2006 in two locations: Falmouth (Barnstable County) and Milton (Norfolk County). Through a multi-agency effort to uncover new populations of this pervasive weed before it becomes established in Massachusetts, mile-a-minute vine has now been confirmed in the towns of Greenfield and Erving (Franklin County) and in Littleton (Middlesex County).

The plants found in Greenfield were removed once identification was confirmed, and state officials will continue to monitor the site over the next several years to remove any new seedlings that are found. The mile-a-minute vine population in Erving is currently being assessed to determine the best way to manage it. In addition, a report from Boston this past August led state officials to two seedlings which were immediately removed, and a survey of the area revealed no other mile-a-minute plants. The previously known populations of mile-a-minute vine in Milton and Falmouth are being monitored by the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, and are currently under eradication.

Mile-a-minute vine can be recognized by its perfectly triangular leaves, barbed stems, and clusters of metallic-blue berries. If left alone, this vine can quickly cover large areas, scrambling over other plants as well as fences and other structures. Several other vines may be confused with this invasive species, including bindweed, fleecevine, and Asiatic bittersweet. The University of Connecticut website offers a comparison of similar species.

For more information about mile-a-minute vine, or to report a potential sighting in Massachusetts, visit our mile-a-minute vine fact sheet, or call 617-626-1779.

To sign up for pest and pathogen alerts from the Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach Project, visit this page.

Photo credit: Todd Mervosh, CT Agricultural Experiment Station

Help Needed: Fight Mile-a-Minute Vine

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation is seeking volunteers to help pull mile-a-minute vine in Fowl Meadow, part of the Blue Hills Reservation. Mile-a-minute vine (Polygonum perfoliatum, "MAM"), an invasive species native to Asia, was discovered in Fowl Meadow in 2006 and now covers more than 40 acres. Fowl Meadow is an area of critical environmental concern, a habitat for over 10 rare and endangered species now threatened by this fast-growing vine.


Mile-a-minute in Fowl Meadow (Photo by Alexandra Echandi, DCR)

Mile-a-minute vine can be recognized by its distinct, triangular-shaped leaves, barbed stems, and clusters of bright blue fruits. It is an annual plant whose fruits are attractive to both birds and mammals, and whose seeds can live up to five years in the soil.

DCR is seeking to pull out as much of the Fowl Meadow mile-a-minute vine as possible, in order to reduce next year's populations levels. Pulling sessions are being held this Thursday (9/17/09), 8:00-11:30am and Friday (9/18/09) 8:00am-3:00pm, and more sessions will be scheduled over the next few weeks. If you are interested in lending a hand, please call 617-981-0817.

Photo by winged photography

Updated Invasive Plant Pages

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources has recently updated the invasive plant pages on its website. Now that the "phase out" period has ended, the Prohibited Plant list has been simplified. You can also now view the list sorted by common or scientific name. If you would prefer a print version of this list, you can download it here.

The invasive plant regulations prohibit the sale, trade, purchase, distribution and related activities for all species on the list. If you have questions about the list or the regulations behind it, you can contact jennifer.forman-orth@state.ma.us or call 617-626-1735.

Phase-out period for prohibited plants has ended

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources regulates a list of Prohibited Plants, more than 100 non-native species that are considered invasive or noxious weeds. These plants are prohibited from sale, trade, distribution, and related activities in our state. As of January 1, 2009, the following ornamental species, which had been under a phase-out period, now fall under the same regulations as the other species on the list:

• Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii)
  
• Bell’s honeysuckle (Lonicera x bella) [L. morrowii x L. tatarica]
  
• Bishop's weed; goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria)
  
• Burning bush; winged euonymus (Euonymus alatus/alata)
  
• Creeping Jenny; moneywort (Lysimachia nummularia)
  
• Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii)
  
• Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)
  
• Morrow’s honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii)
  
• Norway maple (Acer platanoides)
  
• Sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus)
  
• Tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica)
  

You can see the entire prohibited plant list sorted by common or scientific name, or download a print version here.

2009 CAPS Pest List

The Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach Project is part of the Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS), a partnership between all 50 states and the USDA to detect and monitor exotic pests, pathogens and weeds. Each fall, the Massachusetts CAPS Committee, with members from the Mass. Department of Agricultural Resources, USDA APHIS-PPQ, UMass Extension, and non-governmental organizations with a stake in the state's agricultural resources, meets in order to decide which pests will be the focus of the next year's survey and outreach efforts. The 2009 CAPS pest list for Massachusetts is below, with species ranked in order of importance. Over the next couple of months we will add fact sheets for any species that does not already have one.

Rank	Scientific Name	Common Name	Organism Type
1	Phytophthora ramorum	Sudden oak death, Ramorum blight	pathogen
2	Anoplophora glabripennis	Asian longhorned beetle	insect
3	Agrilus planipennis	Emerald ash borer	insect
4	Epiphyas postvittana	Light brown apple moth	insect
5	Potyvirus	Plum Pox Virus, PPV	pathogen
6	Puccinia horiana	Chrysanthemum white rust	pathogen
7	Adoxophyes orana	Summer fruit tortrix moth	insect
8	Anoplophora chinensis	Rough shouldered longhorned beetle, Citrus longhorned beetle	insect
9	Monochamus alternatus	Japanese pine sawyer	insect
10	Lobesia botrana	European grape vine moth	insect
11	Lymantria dispar (Asian strain)	Asian gypsy moth	insect
12	Lymantria mathura	Pink gypsy moth	insect
13	Spodoptera litura	Cotton cutworm	insect
14	Spodoptera littoralis	Egyptian cottonworm	insect
15	Puccinia hemerocallidis	Daylily rust	pathogen
16	Globodera rostochiensis	Golden nematode	nematode
17	Globodera pallida	Potato cyst nematode	nematode
18	Polygonum perfoliatum	Mile-a-minute vine	plant
19	Heracleum mantegazzianum	Giant hogweed	plant
20	Orobanche cernua, other non-native Orobanche spp.	Nodding broomrape	plant
21	Lepidium latifolium	Perennial pepperweed	plant

Mile-a-Minute on Block Island

An infestation of mile-a-minute vine (Polygonum perfoliatum) was discovered last month on Block Island, located off the coast of Rhode Island. The initial sighting was in a swamp owned by The Nature Conservancy, in several patches covering more than 400 square meters. A small additional population was also found in the yard of an island resident. The Nature Conservancy and Rhode Island Natural History Survey staff were quick to assess the problem, and have already been out to the sight for a day-long "pulling session" to remove the thorny vines by hand. Given the extent of the invasion, RINHS staff expect that the mile-a-minute, which is an annual plant, has already put out a lot of seeds this season, meaning that RINHS and TNC will be back on the island next year for more pulling.

Massachusetts has two populations of mile-a-minute vine that are currently under eradication. If you think you have seen this plant, please report it using our online form, or call our Plant Pest Hotline at 617-626-1779.

Getting to know Giant Hogweed

This time of year, the Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach Project's Pest Hotline gets a lot of calls and emails about Giant Hogweed. Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) is a large, stout plant in the Carrot family, and due to its toxic sap, is a federally listed noxious weed. It has been present in Massachusetts for several years. The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources is actively managing all hogweed populations with the goal of eradication.

If you think you've seen Giant Hogweed, we encourage you to file a Pest Report or call our Pest Hotline at 617-626-1779. But first, take a look at this excellent resource from IPANE that will help you determine if you've really got Giant Hogweed, or one of several similar-looking plants:



Related resources:

• A list of confirmed sightings in Massachusetts
• Our Giant Hogweed fact sheet
  

(Photo by David Marrison, Ohio State University Extension)

Pulling Perennial Pepperweed

On Saturday June 7th, from 1-4pm, the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge will host an information and training session on the identification and control of Perennial Pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium). The training will be in Newburyport, MA at PRNWF Headquarters (6 Plum Island Turnpike). The first hour will be spent indoors learning about Pepperweed and control techniques, then participants are invited to gain hands-on experience by pulling Pepperweed at a site along the Plum Island Turnpike. This meeting is open to the public with no obligation to volunteer.

Perennial Pepperweed is an invasive plant that occurs in wetland habitats along coastal areas of Massachusetts, including salt marshes, and is also found along roadsides. In the western part of the USA, it is a major agricultural weed. It can be spread through soil or water movement, or as a contaminant in hay bales.

Throughout the summer, Parker River NWR and the Massachusetts Audubon society will be leading Pepperweed pulls at sites throughout Essex County. The goal is to control or eradicate pepperweed before it becomes as pervasive as other wetland invasives, like Phragmites or purple loosestrife. If you are interested in volunteering for this project but cannot make the June 7th training session, you can contact Sarah Janson (sarah_janson@fws.gov).

Know Your Weeds

If you are involved in weed management, the nursery industry in general, or are a landscaper or master gardener, consider signing up for one of UMass Weed Identification Workshops. Held at both the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain and at the UMass Amherst campus, the workshops are all-day affairs, incorporating a potted herbarium, walks outdoors, and the opportunity to bring in your own mystery weeds for identification.

Weed workshops are held in July and August, and have a registration fee of $95 each. They can be used as credits for Massachusetts Certified Landscape Professionals (MCLP) or Massachusetts Certified Horticulturists (MCH), or can count as 5 pesticide contact hours (for categories 29, 36, 37, and Applicators License). For more details, visit this UMass Extension website, or contact the UMass Extension Landscape, Nursery, & Urban Forestry Program at 413-545-0895 (email: eweeks AT umext.umass.edu).

Biocontrol Successes

There is a good article in the Boston Globe today summarizing the state's work on the Purple Loosestrife Biocontrol Project. Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is one of the 141 plant species on the state's Prohibited Plant List, and was categorized as invasive by the Massachusetts Invasive Plant Advisory Group.

Beth Suedmeyer of the Massachusetts Wetlands Restoration Program currently heads the biocontrol project, which has released over 300,000 Galerucella beetles to eat purple loosestrife since 2000. As with most biological controls, a Galerucella beetle attack does not immediately destroy purple loosestrife, rather, the beetles are a tool used to keep current populations of this invasive plant in check.

Suedmeyer is now training citizen scientists to raise and release the beetles, which have shown some evidence of beginning to breed and spread on their own. Visit the Purple Loosestrife Biocontrol Project for more information, including how you can raise beetles and what to do if you see a Galerucella beetle in the wild.

Invasive Plant Training

If you are a Massachusetts resident concerned about invasive plants, consider signing up for one of the IPANE Volunteer Training Sessions being held this May and June. IPANE teaches volunteers how to identify invasive plants and enlists them to conduct monitoring surveys across New England. The beginner training for western Massachusetts is coming up soon, on May 3, and there is also a Getting Started Workshop for the Appalachian Trail in Sheffield, MA.

If you really want to get your hands dirty, there are also invasive plant pulling events throughout the spring and summer, including one for water chestnut (Trapa natans) in Rowley and glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus) in Winchendon. Check out the IPANE volunteer page for a complete listing.