Frilled, Dead Buckthorn with Fruit-Producing Native Vines Native

2/28/2014

Frilled, dead Buckthorn with Fruit-producing Native Vines

Wild Grape Vitis riparia Virginia Creeper Parthenocisus inserta

Native Vines in Full Sun Produce Valuable Fruit for Songbirds

Wild/ Frost/ Riverbank Grape Woodbine / Virginia Creeper Vitis riparia Parthenocissus inserta

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Native vines on dead buckthorn “trellis”

Shallow girdle with chainsaw; herbicide with brush or spray.

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Older Method to avoid: Drill holes & inject with herbicide

Why? • Time consuming • Clumsy in the field • Herbicide exposure risk

EZ-Ject metal shells with herbicide for kill-in- place

Inject shells with glyphosate 2 inches apart at root flare

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• Old growth buckthorn was dead by late summer

Winter basal bark spray results

What fills the void? Long-live the seed bank

More Buckthorn

• Garlic Mustard

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What fills the void? Long-lives the seed bank

More light allows garlic mustard to rapidly expand & buckthorn seedlings to flourish

May & June in the Twin Cities is a time to:

Forget about Buckthorn

… and remove garlic mustard !

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Delegating work: Matching people to the job Labor • Staff • Volunteers (time-intensive) • STS • ICWC • Contractor(s) • Self

What about all the seedlings?

Hand pull around wildflowers & native plants

Herbicide spray seedlings & low re-sprouts.

Spay timing is very important : mid to late October (after native plants have turned color or dropped their leaves).

Use 5% glyphosate when the seedlings are 1-2 feet tall.

Aspen root-sprouts grow fast– an excellent restoration tree

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Critical Period Cut followed by Buckthorn Overspray CPC + BTOS + exact timing may = Success

CPC in early July after full leaf Buckthorn Overspray in mid- out and stem flush October at native leaf drop. Challenges …

Herbicide damage: Epinasty & stunting

Epinasty is distorted growth.

Buckthorn will grow out of a stunted condition

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What fills the void? Long-lives the seedbank

Weed take-over after “brushing”

When Managing Woodlands Invasive species will always be a threat

Common Buckthorn Tartarian Honeysuckle

Garlic Mustard

Burdock

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Herbaceous Invaders after Cut Common Sunny-site Weeds • Many thistles • Common mullien • Curly dock Common Shady-site Weeds • Garlic mustard • Burdock NEW invader: • Stickseed Narrow leaf bittercress • Motherwort

For many more invasive species, see this MN DNR Book: MN Invasive Non-native Terrestrial Plants www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/ terrestrialplants/index.html

Burdock 2 nd year plants Burdock 1 st year plants

Dead garlic mustard stalks in ground layer of “old growth” buckthorn Old straw-colored stalks are a clear sign that the soil is full of seed (the seed bank).

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Prospect Trail: 1 st year garlic mustard ground cover , Nov. 2008. 2nd year plants were dead by September (not visible here).

What fills the void? • Ungraded site with remnant native species: – Native woodland shrubs – Wildflowers & woodland March 2005 • Wildgroundcovers Rose Restored – 1’ Tall Wild Rose flagged ’03 – 15’ Tall Buckhorn removed – Wild Rose tripled in size – in one season 2004

A restoration surprise

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Natural regeneration vs. planting:

On a good site, wait 2 - 3 years and watch for natives to return from roots or seed.

Shown with buckthorn seedlings : • Jack in the Pulpit • Wild geranium • Solomon’s Plume – (false Solomon’s seal) • Black Cherry • Virginia Creeper

A diverse native understory has diminished in metro woodlands & savannas

• Diversity is essential for native pollinator insects, birds & proper functioning of the woodland ecosystem • Birds nest & feed in what is missing Brown thrasher & scarlet tanager populations declining… catbirds, wood thrushes … • American Plum, cherries, & other natives are important to pollinators. Pollinators are a link to the next generation of plants and to bird survival.

• Douglas Tallamy’s book: Bringing Nature Home

• Under-story clear-cut & “brushing” Native: Choke Cherry Prunus virginiana removes remnant, high-value species

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Native Shrubs for Under-story Find these remnants or re-plant

Woodland Type Species Dry Oak Mesic Oak Maple/Basswood Amer. Hazel X X Gray Dogwood X X Juneberry/Serviceb. XXX Choke Cherry X X X Red-berried Elder X X Nannyberry X X Pagoda Dogwood X X American Plum (woodland edge)

Minnesota’s St. Croix River Valley And Anoka Sandplain: A Guide to Native Habitats University of MN Press ISBN # 0-8166-2484-4

Contains many forest type fact sheets

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Woodbine/Virginia Creeper Vine: a native woodland ground cover

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Re storation of Ground-covers

Plant and mulch with wood chips or leaves if good herb layer does not return

Remember erosion control with logs on slopes

Wood Waste Utilization & Disposal Options

1. Chip on-site back into the woods (avoid chipping branches with berries; don’t smother wildflowers, sedges or blow against trees; keep chipper chute moving) 2. Erosion control-- recycle some logs and brush on the woodland floor, especially on slopes to reduce erosion (water-bars, etc.; soil contact is best) 3. Brush piles for wildlife (some city ordinances don’t allow) 4. Burn piles (for branch ends with fruit; need permit from city Fire Marshall) 5. Wood working: walking sticks, fences, trellises … 6. Firewood (especially buckthorn branches with fruit) 7. Bundle for local yard waste hauler (residents) 8. City or county yard waste drop-off 9. Tub grind for District Energy, St. Paul

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Buckthorn woodworking

Top priorities for every buckthorn & invasive species removal job

1. Ribbon flag the natives before cutting starts. Keep them flagged, why? 2. Remove or kill females first to stop seed production. If possible, burn or dispose of branches with fruit. Best done early winter. 3. “Release” the natives species from competition (cut the invasives around them first). 4. Protect special natives with tree guards,

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Best Practices

• Don’t remove all buckthorn if garlic mustard is present. • Protect native wildflowers and sedges by working when the ground is frozen. • Don’t cut all the vines! • Re-use wood on site (chips, logs and brush) –Prevent erosion on slopes –Wood with soil contact retains soil moisture –Slash & logs improve habitat for the food web (insects, bugs, birds, amphibians, small mammals) • Public land managers: tap into grant money and local green volunteers • Do something every year, no matter how small.

Keys to success :

• Prioritized Work • Ecologically Sound Methods • Positive Attitude! • Long-term Commitment

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Up with new buckthorn seedlings comes Hope

Jeff Cordes

Do Something Every Year against Invasive Species

END

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Where can you learn plant ID?

• Volunteer with us in Minnetonka! We teach plant ID as we work.

• Minnesota Native Plant Society field trips Visit: www.MNNPS.org

Volunteer Opportunities :

• City of Minnetonka Native Habitat Restoration • Visit eminnetonka. com

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One of the last 3 American hazel in 50 acre park area

Rare find: Old 5-stem juneberry

Flag natives before cutting starts

Common Errors During Buckthorn Removal

Brushing or Understory Clearcut

“Low value” species removed

Understory structure is necessary in riparian zones

What are low value species?

Saving native species is every bit as important as removing buckthorn

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Invasive vs. Aggressive species

Invasive • Non-native • Displace & take over existing native species

Aggressive • Native • Usually pioneer species • Come into a disturbed site ** Compete with exotics !!! • Later affected by succession

Native: Prickly Ash Xanthoxylum americanum

Keep aggressive natives that occupy space-- if higher value species are not present

• Green Ash • Elm • Boxelder • Cottonwood • Sumac • Prickly Ash • Raspberries & Blackberries • Woodbine/Virginia Creeper Vine

• Wild Grape vines (if growing on lower-value species)

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Best Techniques for the Site: Erosion Prevention on Slopes

•Not shown: the big hole and all the displaced soil.

•Why is soil disturbance a problem?

Don’t use Weed Wrench on slopes -- too much soil disturbance Use cut-stump or frill treatment (roots hold soil in place)

Best Technique for the Site: Prevent Erosion when pulling buckthorn

• Shake soil back into hole NO ! • Tamp soil & replace leaf-litter