Invasive plants are those which can take over and displace native vegetation. This week’s blog will focus on porcelainberry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata), an introduced plant from Asia that was brought here in the late 1800’s as a landscape plant. It has become an invasive species in the northeast US and in several Great Lakes states. It […]
During the early fall season trees and shrubs will begin to reduce their photosynthate production capacity and transition to fall foliage senescence. For deciduous trees and shrubs this will involve a breakdown of chlorophyll molecules in order release nitrogen bound to it so it may be salvaged and reused by the plant. When chlorophyll starts […]
Armillaria root rot is a fungal disease that can attack trees and shrubs. While oaks are commonly attacked, many tree and shrub species can be colonized by Armillaria fungi. These include most of the trees inhabiting our New England woodlands including maples, beech and hemlocks. As the name implies, the fungal organisms responsible for this […]
Emerald ash borer (EAB), an insect that causes decline and death of ash trees, has now been found in western Massachusetts. This is an introduced, non-native, insect pest that was first identified as causing death of ash trees in the US in 2002. It is thought to have been intoduced from Asia. Since being discovered […]