[MAIPC] Invasive plants and climate change

Fri Feb 1 12:27:28 PST 2019

 My mind is foggy from highway miles, but I'm pretty sure that I was along the PA turnpike between Philly and Valley Forge this winter when I saw a Miscanthus field that covered a few solid acres, and the plants themselves had then spread out along the highway embankment for at least a mile, probably getting dragged along further with each pass of the mowers and each breathe of wind. It may have been the most horrifying "newish" invasive spread I had ever seen. The field itself was massive and stood out like a hay field ready for harvest. It was dumbfounding. It certainly merits some serious attention.
Mary 
    On Friday, February 1, 2019, 2:08:51 PM EST, Judy Fulton <jfulton5 at gmail.com> wrote:  

Yes, I am really seeing Miscanthus sinensis spreading throughout Baltimore County and other areas in Maryland. I think that it is further along the invasive curve than black fountain grass (Cenchrus purpurascens aka Pennisetum alopecuroides), but I am now seeing C. purpurascens starting to spread in the wild. I believe that we need to pay attention right away to this new invader, its cultivars and  closely related species, including purple fountain grass (Cenchrus setaceus aka Pennisetum setaceum).

 Judy
 ____________________________________________

 Judith P. Fulton
 EcoPlant Consulting: Native and Invasive Plants
 Master Gardener, University of Maryland Extension
 Chair, Maryland Invasive Species Council Subcommittee on Invasives Lists
 Board, Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council
 410-337-3701
 jfulton5 at gmail.com

  On 2/1/2019 1:43 PM, Liz Nalle wrote:

 Miscanthus and Pennisetum are both problems in coastal Delaware but I would add that they spread primarily from being planted, then the seeds are wind blown. Regarding Phrag, some areas here have given up on eradication, and are now concentrating on managing it, if that’s even possible. We are very prone to flooding, though, so with sea level rise which we are living, it will be interesting to see it move as it doesn’t tolerate standing water.   
  Excellent point about Baccharis spreading due to road salt! I see it in many more places recently.  
  Liz 
  On Fri, Feb 1, 2019 at 1:14 PM Judy Fulton <jfulton5 at gmail.com> wrote:

When people mention groundsel tree, I'm assuming that they are referring to Baccharis halimifolia. This species is a native to the Coastal Plain ecoregions throughout the mid-Atlantic, but it is becoming adventive in the Piedmont and various mountain ecoregions. I agree with Margaret Chatham that a likely reason for this movement is salt tolerance -- I see the plant fairly frequently in the difficult strip next to highways that have been treated with salt. So, I'm not sure that Baccharis halimifolia is going to become a problem.

 Judy

 ____________________________________________

 Judith P. Fulton
 EcoPlant Consulting: Native and Invasive Plants
 Master Gardener, University of Maryland Extension
 Chair, Maryland Invasive Species Council Subcommittee on Invasives Lists
 Board, Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council
 410-337-3701
 jfulton5 at gmail.com

    On 2/1/2019 12:07 PM, MARGARET L CHATHAM wrote:

 I’d suggest another factor at work in the spread of groundsel tree (and Typha angustifolia): road salt. As the roadways become saltier, they offer better habitat for salt-tolerant plants. (And Ii see Miscanthus spread as primarily driven by planted seed sources — strictly anecdotal comment.) 
  Margaret

 On Feb 1, 2019, at 11:42 AM, Stephen Hiltner <stevehiltner at gmail.com> wrote: 
  I'll chime in with a few observations. The first invasive example of Miscanthus I saw many years back was in a  field outside of Newport, Rhode Island during my one and only visit there. In NC at turn of the century it was only invasive on Mount Mitchell and some horticulturist of great stature, perhaps the one who wrote "the book"  on shrubs/trees, said in a discussion at NC Bot Gardens that only one variety of Miscanthus was invasive. In recent years I've seen examples of invasion in NJ and PA along freeways. 
  Groundsel tree is one to look out for, as it spread from the NC coast up freeways into the piedmont and has become a serious invasive in the Durham, NC area, invading grasslands and lining freeway right of ways. Seen a few incidents in central NJ but not much yet. 
  Go to Princeton battlefield, and it's hard to imagine porcelainberry getting any worse--topiary on a massive scale. 
  Steve PrincetonNatureNotes.org  
  On Fri, Feb 1, 2019 at 10:55 AM Liz Nalle <liznalle5 at gmail.com> wrote:

 Here in southern, coastal Delaware, Phragmites australis and Hydrilla verticillata are big problems. I’m not  sure how much climate change has facilitated their spread, but they are from father south in Asia I believe. 
  Liz Nalle Inland Bays Garden Center Frankford DE

 On Jan 31, 2019, at 9:36 PM, Jil Swearingen <jilswearingen at gmail.com> wrote: 
   All, 
  EDDMapS might be enlisted here to help. If one can do a query  over time (e.g., 20-30 years) of invasive plant species occurring in the Southeast  states that eventually start being reported in the mid-Atlantic in recent years, that would produce a list to start working with. Chuck  Bargeron would be the obvious go-to person to run this query. I don't know how to do it with the tools available for users. 
  Thanks, 
  Jil 

  .......................             Jil Swearingen Invasive Species Consultant In the Weeds 410-200-7085 

  On Thu, Jan 31, 2019 at 9:22 PM James Remuzzi <james at sustainablesolutionsllc.net> wrote:

 I would second the USDA work on CO2 re vines would add Mile a  Minute to those species previously mentioned —vines: both invasive and native, have exploded in last 20 years and are having a  devastating impact on Native Forests and Shrublands.  
 JRR 
  James R. Remuzzi Sustainable Solutions, LLC www.sustainablesolutionsllc.net  
 On Jan 31, 2019, at 4:27 PM, frazmo <frazmo at gmail.com> wrote:

  Lewis Ziska with USDA has done interesting  work about the worrying effects of rising CO2 levels on  invasive vines (plus native Poison ivy).  My sense is that Kudzu is gradually becoming worse in  the northern mid-Atlantic as things warm. Colder temps used to hold back Hedera helix in  our north but that obviously is changing. I'm sure there is a long list of southern  invasives marching toward us now... Cheers,   Steve Young, Arlington VA

  On Thu, Jan 31, 2019 at 10:10 AM Ossi,  Damien (DOEE) <damien.ossi at dc.gov> wrote:

Question:  What, if any, invasive plant  species appear to be spreading into  the mid-Atlantic  due to climate change?  I know there’s been talk of  southern magnolia and other species  that are native to just  south of here starting to naturalize in  our area, but I’m more  interested exotic invasives.  

What invasive plants are  common in southern Virginia or  northern North Carolina that  we just don’t have in our area, but  could move here with warmer climates?

Thanks,

Damien

Damien P. Ossi

Wildlife Biologist

Fisheries and Wildlife Division

Department of Energy & Environment

Government of the District of Columbia

1200 First Street NE, 5th Floor

Washington, DC 20002

Desk: (202) 741-0840

Web:  doee.dc.gov

  _______________________________________________
 MAIPC mailing list
 MAIPC at lists.maipc.org
 http://lists.maipc.org/listinfo.cgi/maipc-maipc.org

 _______________________________________________
 MAIPC mailing list
 MAIPC at lists.maipc.org
 http://lists.maipc.org/listinfo.cgi/maipc-maipc.org

  _______________________________________________
 MAIPC mailing list
 MAIPC at lists.maipc.org
 http://lists.maipc.org/listinfo.cgi/maipc-maipc.org

 _______________________________________________
 MAIPC mailing list
 MAIPC at lists.maipc.org
 http://lists.maipc.org/listinfo.cgi/maipc-maipc.org

  _______________________________________________
 MAIPC mailing list
 MAIPC at lists.maipc.org
 http://lists.maipc.org/listinfo.cgi/maipc-maipc.org

  _______________________________________________
 MAIPC mailing list
 MAIPC at lists.maipc.org
 http://lists.maipc.org/listinfo.cgi/maipc-maipc.org

  _______________________________________________
MAIPC mailing list
MAIPC at lists.maipc.org
http://lists.maipc.org/listinfo.cgi/maipc-maipc.org

  _______________________________________________
 MAIPC mailing list
 MAIPC at lists.maipc.org
 http://lists.maipc.org/listinfo.cgi/maipc-maipc.org

  _______________________________________________
MAIPC mailing list
MAIPC at lists.maipc.org
http://lists.maipc.org/listinfo.cgi/maipc-maipc.org
 _______________________________________________
MAIPC mailing list
MAIPC at lists.maipc.org
http://lists.maipc.org/listinfo.cgi/maipc-maipc.org

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.maipc.org/pipermail/maipc-maipc.org/attachments/20190201/a3a95583/attachment-0001.html>