Invasive Weeds
Recently, while working on a tree removal project in Arlington, VA, I bumped into a technician from the Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation named Karsten Ziemann. Mr. Ziemann said that he was particularly happy to be doing his job that day. "Usually I'm killing things, but today I get to plant things!" he exclaimed. He went on to explain to me that his department is endeavoring to reclaim some of the county's park space from non-native invasive weeds. To accomplish this, Mr. Ziemann and his colleagues are planting specimens of the native variety of underbrush to compete with the non-natives. One might wonder why such an effort would be made to control weeds. Before you write to your elected official about wasting tax dollars, let me assure you that this is a good thing! Invasive non-native weeds (especially vines) are a serious threat to the native species of trees that we enjoy here. In fact, researchers at Cornell University have estimated an annual cost to our nation's economy at $120 billion.
Let's back up for a moment. How can weeds be such a problem? After all, they're plants, producers of oxygen, green, flowering, carbon-consuming, animal-feeding.... our friends, right? The problem is that some species are newcomers to our region and, when allowed to go unchecked, become quite disruptive to the local ecology. So, just as we have introduced them to our area, we should manage them if we are to be good stewards of our ecosystem. Non-native plant species can eventually overwhelm the native species by crowding them out and over-consuming nutrients and light. The result is an unnatural change in the growth of our urban forest. Simply put, the trees that make Northern Virginia so beautiful can lose their homefield advantage and become endangered.
After speaking with my new friend in Arlington, I thought to myself how the Arlington Parks situation applies to me and many of my clients as well. Many of us have a little piece of the urban forest right on our properties. We cherish the older native trees that were here when we moved in. They tower over our little oasis below, providing shade, peace, and an air of regency and heritage that only old trees can. Below them we add to the landscape with ornamental species that give a more eye-level gratification. Harmony is preserved so long as the new, under-canopy species are managed. However, sometimes it gets away from us and the new species begin to take over and overwhelm the forest. That is where intervention becomes necessary in order to bring balance back to the forest. The level of intervention is dependent upon how far the alien invasion has been permitted to progress.
Some of the most common offenders of this problem include English Ivy (Hedera helix), Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius), and Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum). For the most part, they can all be permitted to share space in the landscape, but need management by pruning and the addition of native species to preserve balance.
For more information about this, visit the site for the National Invasive Species Awareness Week.
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