Anxiety about Invasive Plants?

by Sherry Lyons

It’s probably just me, but I was wondering if you ever have anxiety about invasive plant species taking over in your state, your area, or just your yard?

I know that we have a problem up here in Maine with bittersweet, but I recently drove down to Massachusetts. There, the problems with bittersweet, phragmite, Japanese knotweed, and purple loosestrife are multiplied exponentially. I know that there are things going on in the world right now that you may think are much more important, but these issues are life or death to other native plant species and the animals that depend on them. On my own property, I struggle to contain, remove, eliminate the varieties of invasive species that abound, with limited to moderate success. Believe it or not, sometimes I wake up worrying about how and when I am going to tackle the job.

I don’t just worry about it in my yard however. Now that I know what to look for as I drive or walk along, I see the bittersweet climbing up trees, waving their tendrils around looking for more branches on which to attach themselves. I notice Japanese knotweed crowding the roadsides and banks of rivers. I can’t really enjoy the lovely purple flowers of the loosestrife as it takes over the cattail population in the marshes, or the feathery fronds of the fragmite as they sway in the breeze. Sometimes all I can think about is the habitat destruction they are wreaking, and my powerlessness to do anything about it. 

If this is not a concern of yours, that’s fine. Forget what I said, and go back to enjoying your day. ; )  But if you have the same worries, I have some advice for you. 

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. 

For me, that means taking care to remove the invasive plants on my property when I notice them, using best practices. It means working with a couple of my local organizations to help in the removal of those plants together with other volunteers. It is really encouraging to do the work with others that feel the same way, and are able to expend some time and energy to accomplish a goal. 

I work with the Sheepscot Knotweed Project to remove knotweed along the banks of the Sheepscott River. They get permission and cooperation from landowners along the river to come in and cut down the knotweed several times over the summer (it grows really fast), then spray it lightly with glyphosate in the fall, and repeat again for a year or two before replanting it with native species.

I have also worked with Coastal Rivers on their Bittersweet Brigade, removing bittersweet and other invasives like black swallow-wort from their various preserves. If you sign up there is no obligation to work every single time these organizations have a work day. Just come when you can and they are grateful for the help. They will even provide the tools and the gloves. You just provide the people power. I also donate a bit of money when I can because every little bit helps.

That is me, and what I can do. Your path may be very different. Though I do still have generalized anxiety about this issue, I know I am not able to control what is happening everywhere  in the world. As long as I work to effect change in my corner of it, I feel better. What about you?