Pull Garlic Mustard Now
If you have time and are interested in helping make space for native plants in Roanoke Park, now's the time to pull one of the worst offender weeds: Garlic Mustard. Every flowering plant you pull now will prevent hundreds in the future. This one can really take over and the time to pull it is now, before it drops its seeds.
Just be sure to positively identify what you're pulling. We need all the good green we can find. Tamp the soil back down after pulling anything. Watch out for poison ivy of course. Wearing gloves is wise.
Garlic Mustard, Allaria petiolata. Photo taken in Roanoke Park April 12, 2011
Garlic Mustard
Garlic Mustard, Allaria petiolata, is an edible plant imported from Europe that is highly invasive and just becoming common in our area. It kills competing plants and can completely take over. It inhibits beneficial fungi in the soil and weakens adjacent native plants and trees. Native butterflies are fooled into laying eggs on it but the larvae do not survive. Pull the whole plant, being sure to get the main part of the root. A trowel or dandelion puller is helpful to loosen the soil slightly before pulling. Garlic mustard can self pollinate and produce seed even after being pulled from the ground. Put in black plastic trash bags, trash immediately or leave to cook in the sun for a week or longer, then discard with trash. DO NOT COMPOST. It's more commonly seen on the lower half of slopes in Roanoke Park. For more detail on Garlic Mustard, see these two pdf info sheets from Wisconsin, a state where garlic mustard is further along than it is here: garlicmustard-wisc.pdf and garlicmustard-wildones.pdf.
Identifying non-native Garlic Mustard
- 2-3” kidney shaped leaves, growing at ground level on first year plants. Garlic scent to crushed leaves. Green all winter.
- Second year plants flower on a bolting multi-leaved stem, up to 4’ tall. Small white 4-petalled flowers.
- 2nd year leaves on the central stem are more triangular or heart shaped and toothed.
- Shallow horizontal tap root with “J” or “S” bend at the top.
- Upright thin long cylindrical seed pods holding tiny seeds, black when ripe, 400-500 per plant.
Reforest Roanoke Park April 27-May 5, 2013
24 helpers came out on Sunday May 5th and the previous week to plant 131 Trees and Shrubs
Many thanks to all the helpers, including four kids. Actual kid's quote: "Planting trees is fun!"
Part of the crew on May 5th 2013. Some had already left and some had yet to arrive.Native trees and shrub seedlings were donated to Roanoke Park by the Missouri Department of Conservation. One of the species (persimmon) wasn't looking healthy on planting day so we skipped those. After all the solid efforts, only nine of the donated trees remained unplanted. 131 got planted. See the planting plan of their locations (168kb pdf).
The seedlings are scattered in the park and marked with yellow flags. Feel free to water if they look like they need it or pull weeds from around them. We'll be trying to get mulch moved around most of them and may visit with a watering truck if we hit a dry spell.
Thanks to: Melissa Koch, Nancy Harrington, Paul Pearce, Andrew Ellis, Brett Shoffner and two more park fans on April 27th, Scott Burnett, Randy Moore, Carrie McDonald, Isabel Tamayo, Pam Gilford, Alan Steinlage, Frank Messer, Bob Ellis and two of his granddaughters, Matthew Browning and two kids, Andy Tann and friend, Curt Watkins and Chris DeLong.
Spring Cleanup! Yum!
About 50 helpers came out to clean up the park April 13
About 40 neighbors and voluteers joined ten trailbuilders in spiffing up Roanoke Park on Saturday, April 13, 2013. Enthusiasm was flagging as the morning wore on but it was all smiles at the lunch provided by Whole Foods' Miles Krivena and chef Ryan. Many commented that is was the best lasagna they'd every had! The work mainly concentrated in the Southwest corner of the park:
- MANY piles of brush were dragged to the curb
- MANY bags of trash and bottles were removed from the park's woods
- Brett led the trailbuilders in extending Roanoke Park's growing urban trail system
- Nancy led seeding efforts for native grasses and wildflowers (NE entrance, and NE of the tennis courts etc.)
THANK YOU to all who attended.
Our Pledge to Roanoke Park
Roanoke Park is an important historical Kansas City asset. Its value is greatest to its closest residents. Time and neglect have taken a toll on our neighborhood park. The wooded ravines have lost important trees and the rugged cliffs have become hidden by invasive plants. The park's beauty has become marred. Comparing old photos with more recent ones confirms that the park is not as enticing as it once was.
Even when Kansas City was not in such dire financial straits, city resources for the park have been sparse. Many neighborhood parks are being recognized for their value as neighborhood assets and sanctuaries of peacefulness in urban areas. This trend is sweeping the nation and the globe as neighborhood groups join together to support local parks that have suffered from urban decay and government neglect.
Our efforts on behalf of Roanoke Park are a public/private partnership initiative to honor the history and plant the future of Roanoke Park. We do this for the betterment of our city, and especially the neighborhoods that share Roanoke Park.
