[MAIPC] Lespedeza cuneata

[Richard Gardner]

L. cuneata is apparently one of the gifts of the Pennsylvania Game Commission. I have given up trying to pull it up as it is almost everywhere I walk. I heard that it was planted as "game food", but the shell of the seed is too hard to digest. So, birds can have full crops while starving to death. .

                                                                                                                     Richard Gardner

Our dog Sir Isaac Newton for president. Clearly, the people's choice!

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On Fri, 9/16/16, Karen Budd <kbudd3030 at gmail.com> wrote:

 Subject: Re: [MAIPC] Lespedeza cuneata
 To: "Margaret Chatham" <margaret.chatham at verizon.net>
 Cc: maipc at lists.maipc.org
 Date: Friday, September 16, 2016, 10:39 AM
 
 We
 tried for years to get rid of that plant in our 3-acre
 wildflower meadow in Bucks Co., PA. It came in the original
 seed mix for the meadow. It's extremely aggressive! We
 had to spot treat it every year just before it flowered
 since we didn't want to affect the wildflowers. An
 extremely time-consuming, hot and sticky job! There was
 always more coming back the next year. In places where there
 were no wildflowers, we simply mowed at that time every year
 to keep it from going to seed and to knock it back. It
 spread like crazy to theneighboring fields so everyone was
 mowing it.Karen BuddTinicum Conservancy
 
 Sent from my
 iPhone
 On Sep 14,
 2016, at 3:56 PM, Margaret Chatham <margaret.chatham at verizon.net>
 wrote:
 
 
 
 Re: [MAIPC]
 Lespedeza cuneataI recall
 once hand-cutting it at Great Falls NP, MD, after flowers
 had formed but before seed was set, on the theory that
 simply removing all top growth at that time would kill the
 plant. Mary Travaglini was in charge of that operation,
 & I never heard how well it worked. (My personal
 recollection was of chiggers...)
 
 
 
 Margaret Chatham
 
 
 
 
 
 On 9/14/16 2:22 PM, "John Ambler" <john.ambler at verizon.net>
 wrote:
 
 
 
 In Lancaster County
 (PA) Central Park a series of native wildflower meadows were
 planted some years ago with seed collected from the county.
  In one meadow apparently Lespedeza cuneata (Chinese
 bushclover) was included in the seed mix when seed was
 collectedalong the Susquehanna River, probably at Lock 12,
 near Holtwood Bridge on PA372.
 
  
 
 One meadow has a large patch (maybe 100x200 ft.?) of
 Lespedeza cuneata growing vigorously among other
 plants.  There is some spread by mowing along the edge of
 the meadow, and it has been found in two of the other
 meadows at some distance from the main infestation.
 
  
 
 Ideally it would be controlled by cutting with brush blade
 in August before seeds mature followed by treatment of the
 cut stem.  Brushing stem with glyphosate concentrate in
 early June when the stems are easily found also is
 effective.
 
  
 
 However, volunteers are not allowed to use power tools or
 herbicide.  The park wishes to mow the meadows for woody
 plant control in the fall, a time that works into their
 schedule and the ground may not be too wet.  (Others
 recommend cutting at the beginning of April to minimize
 damage to overwintering butterflies.)
 
  
 
 Mowing will rapidly spread the Lespedeza cuneata,
 which will seriously degrade the meadows.  Also it will
 favor wider spread, e.g., downstream via the nearby Mill
 Creek (a small river).
 
  
 
 Could anyone with experience with Lespedeza cuneata
 comment on its invasiveness?  I see from EDDMapS that there
 are a lot of reports of it in New Jersey, so someone must be
 worried about it there.
 
  
 
 John Ambler
 
 Lancaster, PA
 
 
 
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