Friday, May 6, 2022

Invasive Honeysuckle for VT State Flower

 

Say goodbye to Ephemerals, and some pollinators, in Vermont.


     Will we allow ephemerals and pollinators to go the way of Chestnuts, Elms, and now Ash trees? Perhaps it would be wise to visit the spring ephemerals now, not because they bloom for only a short time in spring. Visit them now so that you can tell your grandkids how beautiful they were. Yes, were. 



     The Vermont Center for Ecostudies tells us, “Spring ephemeral wildflowers are perennial woodland plants that sprout from the ground early, bloom fast, and then go to seed—all before the canopy trees overhead leaf out. Often found in calcium-rich woods, these “ephemerals” include Spring Beauty, Dutchman’s Breeches, Blue Cohosh, Hepatica, Wild Ginger, and a few others. Once the forest floor is deep in shade, the plant’s leaves wither away leaving only the roots, rhizomes, and bulbs underground. It allows plants to take advantage of full sunlight levels reaching the forest floor during a short time in early spring.”


     That has happened for generations, perhaps for thousands of years, because that is part of how the ecology of much of the forested land in Vermont works or did work. Today we see vast armies of quickly overpowering invasive honeysuckles.  They leaf out before nearly all other plants. Where they do, no longer can any appreciable level of sunlight reach the forest floor in early spring. 


     VCE also tells us, "Once these plants are gone from the forest, it is rare that they return.” Between forest fragmentation, competition from invasive plants, and climate change, these Vermont spring specialists may soon no longer welcome us in spring in Vermont. 


   
  Let a single three or four-inch-tall dandelion or heaven forbid a bit of heals-all erupt on our lawns and we run for an arsenal to eradicate them (though both these plants provide at least some minimal benefit to pollinators and do not invasively take over the landscape). 


   Why is it then that we are not out with saws and loppers cutting down invasive honeysuckle which (a single plant) can grow fifteen feet high and about as wide?




   The Vermont Invasive website declares, “These invasive species compete with native plants for sunlight, moisture, and pollinators. And while birds eat the fruit, it is poorer in fats and nutrients than fruits from native plants, so the birds do not get enough nutrients to help sustain long flights during migrations. When songbirds nests in non-native honeysuckle they [birds] suffer a higher predation rate than when their nests are built in native shrubs such as arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum).”


   “Forest regeneration is severely impacted by honeysuckle infestations. The shrubs form dense colonies in the understory, out-competing native shrubs and trees. Sunlight can no longer reach the forest floor, reducing the diversity and abundance of native wildflower and fern populations.”



The bottom photo shows invasive honeysuckle in the foreground beginning to crowd out and shade native plants including the ephemerals. The photo was taken at Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area in Addison, Vermont. 



   “Shrub honeysuckles reproduce mainly by seed but some vegetative re-sprouting can occur in established populations. Plants mature between 3-5 years of age. Each plant produces thousands of berries as fruit, and each fruit contains 2-6 seeds. Seeds can remain viable for 3-5 years.”


   The US Forest service tells us, “Ecological Impacts: In forests, the plant can adversely affect populations of native members of the community. It can spread rapidly due to the seeds being dispersed by birds and mammals. It can form a dense understory thicket which can restrict native plant growth and tree seedling establishment.”


   The Vermont Fish & Wildlife website tells us how to identify the enemy. Invasive shrub honeysuckles are often much larger than native honeysuckles and can be identified by their oppositely arranged, egg-shaped leaves that lack fine hairs along the margins. Shrub honeysuckles often leaf out much earlier and retain leaves much later than native species making them easier to identify.


   The flowers are tubular, can be yellow, white, or pink in color, and appear throughout the early summer. Honeysuckle produces small, orange to bright red berries that ripen in early fall. The bark is usually lighter in color and can look braided or shaggy. Invasive honeysuckle also has a hollow stem center. This is the easiest way to tell the difference between invasive and native plants as native species have solid white stem centers.


  Mechanical removal by cutting or pulling plants can be effective (VT F&W). Cutting/mowing can help slow the spread of honeysuckle. Cutting/mowing will encourage re-sprouting and may need to be conducted for 3-5 years to fully exhaust the root system and kill the plant.


  If we can manage for relatively inoffensive dandelions we can surely rally and fight back against despicable, detrimental, devastating, invasive honeysuckle. 


   After you finish cutting down these dastardly invasive plants, spend a few minutes quietly appreciating the lovely Vermont native spring ephemeral spring beauties and the pollinators they attract while they are still here to enjoy!

   

   We have a fast-moving wildfire (invasive plants) moving through our forest lands as well as our rural towns, even our cities in Vermont.   

 

  •    Write your legislature, and ask for funding for a VT Conservation Corps type of organization to tackle large areas of honeysuckle management. Perhaps starting with our Wildlife Management Areas and state parks.
  •  Ask legislatures and the governor to declare the second Saturday in May or the last Saturday in April as Invasive Plant Removal day. 

  •    Create a local project and raise funds to tackle an acre at a time until you free your town of invasive honeysuckle. 

  •    Join the Jericho Invasive Plant Possee, the work is not too hard, more hands make it easier, and the camaraderie and sense of accomplishment are rewarding in themselves. Contact me if interested. 
  •    Map the infestation locations and develop a plan to prioritize removal.
  •    Contact the town select board asking for a town invasive Honeysuckle management plant. Ask them to address this now before it becomes prohibitively expensive to tackle. A good first step would be to map out the areas of infestation on town property and right of way. Prioritize the greatest conservation or management value. Apply for cost-share funding through NRCS. Seek volunteers (ideally every April-May). If resources are available, hire/consult invasive control professionals. Ideally, replace some of the invasives with native shrubs.
  •    Walk your property to ID where and how much invasive honeysuckle you have. Develop a plan to start cutting it down.

   Invasive honeysuckle, the elephant in the room is destroying the view, the ecological balance, destroying resources of immense value. WE CAN FIGHT BACK. We can manage the battles BEFORE we lose the war, and the ephemerals!


Some Fabulous Spring Wildflowers - View them before they are gone.


Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum)

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)

Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris)

Carolina Spring Beauty (Claytonia caroliniana)

Red Trillium (Trillium erectum)

Painted Trillium (Trillium undulatum)

Starflower (Trientalis borealis)

Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)

Squirrel Corn (Dicentra canadensis)

Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)

Canada Violet (Viola canadensis)

Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense)

Sharp-lobed Hepatica (Anemone acutiloba)

Early Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum giganteum) and Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides)


Connecting community with nature, 
Bernie

More articles on the management of Invasive Honeysuckle.
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