Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) is an introduced plant from Asia that was brought here primarily for reducing soil erosion and its fall display of colorful fruit. It is the fruit that allows easy recognition in fall. It has become an invasive species in more than half of the eastern US. It is a vining-type plant […]
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 […]
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 […]
It is that time of year when people start noticing and need to be on the lookout for poison ivy. Most people can recall the old association “leaves of three” …. Being aware of the form it can take is also important to avoiding contact with plants. Yard maintenance activities often reduce its presence to […]