Weeds! What to pull...

As we all know, Roanoke Park is being wrested from the grip of Bush Honeysuckle. And underneath that in many areas was found a lot of wintercreeper. Those two combined have been quite effective at eliminating native plants from certain areas of the park's hillsides. In some cases, no other plants are growing. In others, only other weeds have been able to compete with these super-weeds. Remnant patches of native plants remain of course, giving cause for hope. But with weeds advancing feet or inches away, how long they hold out may be up to you...

If you have time and are interested in helping make space for more favored plants in Roanoke Park, feel free to pull some of the worst offender weeds. 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, and note that the soil of Roanoke Park is unfortunately heavily "amended" with broken glass. 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. 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, 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.

Comparing young growth in April of shrub honeysuckle on the left, and native coralberry on the right.

Shrub Honeysuckle

Lonicera maackii or Lonicera morrowii. The larger honeysuckle plants are being attacked on the organized work days. But smaller seedlings are shallow rooted and can be pulled from the ground anytime with a bit of effort. Please know your honeysuckle and DON'T PULL THE NATIVE CORALBERRY, which looks quite similar. For more information, see the pdf Curse of the Bush Honeysuckle from the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Identifying non-native Shrub Honeysuckle

• First to green up in the spring. Growing aggressively by early April.
• Pointed oval shaped leaves with smooth edges growing opposite each other and aligned along stems; lighter green and more pointed than native coralberry.
• Vase form with many branches arising from a central base, up to 15 feet tall.
• Hollow pith on smaller stems. Braided flaking bark on larger stems.
• Fragrant honeysuckle blooms in May/June, bright red berries in fall.

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Wintercreeper, Euonymus fortunei. Photo taken in Roanoke Park, August 2010.

Wintercreeper

Euonymus fortunei. The larger infestations of wintercreeper in Roanoke Park will probably take herbicide to knock back. Lone seedlings however can be pulled before they get established. Existing patches can also be reduced somewhat by pulling the vines around the edges, especially where it is encroaching on relatively weed free areas. For more information, see this page on wintercreeper from the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Identifying Wintercreeper

• Green all year long. Dark green older leaves, brighter green new growth in spring/summer.
• Waxy or leathery leaves, opposite each other on stems, egg shaped and slightly serrated, not smooth, thin and pointed like periwinkle (Vinca minor).
• Veins on leaves are lighter in color
• Vining ground cover forming dense monoculture patches.
• Climbs trees, rocks or structures, attaching with aerial rootlets (no "sucker feet" on rootlets).

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