NOT WANTED: Invasive plants

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Granby lands are under attack. Invasive plants are taking over our forests, fields and gardens. We can fight back!

What are invasive plants?

Invasives are non-native plants that disrupt the natural balance of plant life and cause economic or environmental harm, often by crowding out other plants. Most grow rapidly, disperse widely and flourish in a wide range of conditions. Their growth is not limited by the natural controls that limit other plants’ growth.

Some common invasive plants in Granby are Oriental Bittersweet (celastrus orbiculatus), a vine that grows rapidly, strangling shrubs and trees; Multiflora rose (rosa multiflora), takes over open areas, turning fields into impenetrable thorn mazes: Japanese Knotweed (reynoutria japonica), looks like bamboo, almost impossible to control, and Purple Loosestrife (lythrum salicaria), beautiful color in open wetlands that chokes out other plants.

Invasives aren’t all bad. Holiday wreaths often include red/orange Bittersweet berries, Multiflora Rose is intoxicatingly sweet in the spring, and some invasives are wildlife habitats. 

The problem is their rapacious growth and dominance over other plant life over time.

What can we do about invasives?

There are lots of ways to control invasives, and multiple options for each plant. But it’s not easy.  Controlling invasives requires a lot of human effort and repeated effort over time. That’s only fair, since humans introduced most of these plants from their native habitats across the globe.

Granby’s Conservation Commission (GCC) is launching a campaign to raise awareness of and take action on invasive plants in our town. It is called NOT WANTED. It includes:

• Invasive of the month: how to identify and control one invasive plant each month

• Community events to control invasive plants

• Expert materials and presentations

• Collaboration with other groups

The campaign kicks off at Celebrate Granby, September 19–21. We’ll have materials, answers to questions, and ways to get involved.

In the meantime, you can contact the GCC at granby-ct.gov/conservation-commission. Here are some useful resources:

Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG): cipwg.uconn.edu/

CIPWG lists and factsheets: cipwg.uconn.edu/invasive_plant_list/

Connecticut Dept of Energy and Environmental Protection Invasive Species page: www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/us/connecticut