Invasive Plants in Carlisle

Prepared by John Bakewell, Carlisle Arboriculture, for Carlisle Garden Club

1/12/09

 

Preamble; Historic land use – cultivated since Ice Age; Landscape is a huge garden – trees are just large plants; Subtractive gardening – weeding, crucial for Carlisle

 

Impact of invasive plants; biodiversity, forest succession, passive recreation

 

Philosophy; serenity, boundaries, strategy, fashion

 

Tools and Techniques

Mechanical; hand pulling, weed wrench, grubbing and winches, mowing (big)

Herbicide; stump treatments, basal bark, foliar spray, injection

Biological; insects

 

Biggest, current problems for Carlisle Uplands

Buckthorn, Bittersweet, Rose, Honeysuckle, Burning Bush, Barberry, Garlic Mustard, Poison Ivy

 

Emerging upland problems

Knotweed, Olive, Norway maple, Tree of Heaven, Black Locust, Porcelain berry, Bradford pear

 

Lowlands, current and emerging problems

Loosestrife, Phragmites (common reed), Yellow Iris, Water Chestnut, Swallowwort, Goutweed (Bishop’s weed)

 

Native plants 

Blueberry, Button Bush, Winterberry, Red cedar, Spicebush, River birch, Sugar and Red maples, Bayberry, Cattails, Sumac, Arrowwood, Arborvitae (White Cedar), Pepperbush, Hawthorn, Mountain laurel, Hornbeam, Hazelnut, Sweetgum, Witch hazel, Basswood, Black birch, Sassafras, Tupelo (Black gum), Ninebark

 

Recommendations

Protect pristine areas from pioneer invasive plants

Fight battles that can be won

Plant natives

Education

            Gallery of Invasive Plants

            Gallery of Native Plants

Coordinate focused volunteer programs