Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Final Environmental Impact Statement APPENDIX C INVASIVE SPECIES Table 1: Non-native, invasive plant species at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie that threaten restoration, management or health and safety Scientific name Abundance at Midewin Comments Common Name Acer platanoides Present (planted) around Invades mesic woodlands and forests; Norway Maple former house sites and potential to change structure and abandoned buildings. increase understory shade during Seedlings and saplings from growing season. these plantings are present at two localities on MNTP. Agropyron (Elytrigia) repens Locally common, especially Invasive and competitive into seed Quack Grass on poorer soils. production beds. Not a problem in pastures or other grasslands, but has invasive potential in dolomite prairies Agrostis alba Common, especially on Currently planted on site to expand Redtop moister soils. grassland bird habitat and renovate pastures. May be invasive in prairie remnants and restoration, but can be controlled through prescribed burns. Ailanthus altissima Occasional; small stands at May be invasive in dry dolomite prairie. Tree-of-Heaven abandoned house sites. Alliaria petiolata Locally abundant in native Competes with native herbaceous Garlic Mustard forests and woodlands along understory in native woodland, forest, Prairie and Jackson creeks; and savanna communities. Excludes or also in successional thickets outcompetes most native understory along these streams and herbs. Grant Creek. Allium vineale Present only in dolomite Appears to be invading and spreading Field Garlic prairie at NW boundary of in dolomite prairie. MNTP. Arctium minus Locally common throughout Large persistent herb that effectively Common Burdock MNTP, especially in shaded shades out any competition. Difficult to ground in pastures or at eradicate and replace with desirable abandoned house sites. species. Asparagus officinalis Present in prairie remnants, Very persistent, may become common Wild Asparagus roadsides, and other in some prairie remnants despite grasslands. management with fire. Berberis thunbergii Uncommon in forests, Bird-dispersed shrub now increasing in Japanese Barberry woodlands, and thickets. northern Illinois forests and woodlands. Bromus inermis Nearly ubiquitous in Import cover in grassland bird habitat. Smooth (Hungarian) Brome grasslands throughout MNTP. May be difficult to control in native Grass restoration. Bromus spp. Locally common; includes B. Appears to occupy microhabitats and Winter-annual Brome Grasses tectorum, Cheatgrass, and displace native annuals and biennials in other species (B. japonicus, dolomite prairie. B. racemosus). Appendix C C-1 Invasive Species Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Final Environmental Impact Statement Scientific name Abundance at Midewin Comments Common Name Carduus acanthoides Very local in disturbed soil; May be aggressive in early stages of Plumeless Thistle uncommon but fairly prairie restoration; large stands reduce widespread in pastures and suitability of grassland habitats for other grasslands on MNTP. certain bird species. Carduus nutans Uncommon but scattered in Illinois Noxious Weed. A potential pest Musk Thistle, Nodding Thistle pastures, grasslands, in pastures and grasslands. abandoned fields, and early stages of prairie restoration. Catalpa speciosa Not native in Will County Not a severe problem, but will need to Northern Catalpa (native from east Central be removed as fragmentation of Illinois south). Planted trees grassland bird habitat is reduced. persist at abandoned house sites, and produce seedlings. Centaurea maculosa Locally common on dry soils, Invader of dry prairie habitats and Spotted Knapweed especially along abandoned pastures; also invades dolomite prairie railroad lines and roadsides, on adjacent state land and has but also in some pastures.. displaced native vegetation. Cirsium arvense Common in roadsides, Serious problem in seed production Canada Thistle, Field Thistle pastures, grasslands, beds and fields. Aggressive in early wetlands, and degraded stages of prairie and grassland prairie habitats (including restoration. Increasing in native some dolomite prairie). May wetland habitats. be increasing on site. Cirsium vulgare Locally common in pastures. Unsightly when present in seed Bull thistle production beds, pastures, or early stages of prairie restoration. Cornus drummondii Planted on site for wildlife Potential invader of prairie habitats. Rough-leaved Dogwood benefits; MNTP is probably just beyond the NE margin of the natural range. Coronilla varia Locally common on MNTP, Invades prairie communities in Illinois; Crownvetch primarily in roadsides. serious problem in dolomite prairie and other dry and mesic prairie habitats. Cotoneaster multiflora Rare escape in NE Illinois; at Potential invader of grasslands, forests, Many-flowered Cotoneaster one site on MNTP. and woodlands. Dipsacus lacinatus Locally common at a few A rapidly increasing and spreading plant Cut-leaved Teasel localities on MNTP, mostly in throughout the Midwest. Invades roadsides. grassland and native prairie habitats, often forming dense, monotypic stands. Dipsacus sylvestris Common in grasslands, Perhaps not as serious a pest as D. Common Teasel prairie remnants, wetlands, laciniatus, but does form dense stands and roadsides at MNTP. under certain conditions. Echinops sphaerocephalus Present at one locality on Elsewhere in Will County has been Blue Globe Thistle MNTP; immediately adjacent found (large numbers) in roadsides, to one of the few mesic grasslands, and prairie remnants. prairie remnants on site. Elaeagnus umbellata Common, often abundant in Aggressive invader of grasslands and Autumn-olive roadsides, prairie remnants, prairie remnants; threatens grassland and other grasslands. bird habitat on MNTP. Eriochloa villosa Locally abundant in May become a problem in early stages Chinese Cup-grass abandoned crop fields. of prairie/wetland restoration. C-2 Appendix C Invasive Species Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Final Environmental Impact Statement Scientific name Abundance at Midewin Comments Common Name Euonymus alatus A few plants persist at one High potential to invade mesic Winged Euonymus, “Burning- abandoned house site. savannas, woodlands, and forests, bush” Common ornamental shrub in displacing native shrubs and Will County, so likely to herbaceous understory species. appear elsewhere on site. Euphorbia esula Present at two localities This species is a major invader of Leafy Spurge at Midewin. pastures, grasslands, hayfields, and native prairie in the north-central USA. Festuca arundinacea, F. Locally common on MNTP. Important pasture grass, but can be pratensis invasive in some prairie habitats. Tall Fescue, Meadow Fescue Glechoma hederacea Locally common in shaded Probably not a serious threat to native Ground-ivy areas. both in native forests woodland flora, at least compared with and disturbed woodlands. garlic mustard.. Hemerocallis fulva Locally common near May persist and spread vegetatively in Orange Daylily abandoned housesites. prairie remnants and restorations. Hypericum perforatum Locally common in roadsides Potentially poisonous to livestock; does European St. John’s-wort and grasslands, also in invade seed production beds. Invades dolomite prairie. dolomite prairie, including microhabitat occupied by Dalea foliosa (Federal Endangered). Leonurus cardiaca Locally common in shaded Potential problem in woodlands. Motherwort ground, especially in pastures. Leonurus marrubiastrum Locally common in regions of May become a problem in dolomite Lion’s-tail MNTP where dolomite is at or prairie habitats. near the surface. Ligustrum vulgare Locally common in thickets. May be a problem in woodlands or Common Privet grasslands, although not as serious as Lonicera spp. Lonicera x bella Present in roadsides, thickets Invades forests, woodlands, savanna, Showy Honeysuckle and old fields, but not as and grasslands. common as L. maackii. Lonicera maackii Locally abundant in Serious threat to all natural vegetation Amur Honeysuckle woodlands and forests; and restoration. Can survive in dense invades open land. Large shade, and often changes vegetation plantings done before FS structure and recruitment patterns presence still present on site. among forest species. Lonicera x muendeniensis Present, but rare. Invades forests, woodlands, savanna, Muenden Honeysuckle and grasslands. Lonicera tatarica Present in roadsides, prairie Invades forests, woodlands, savanna, Tartarian Honeysuckle remnants, thickets, and grasslands, including dolomite woodlands, and old fields, but prairie.. not as common as L. maackii. Lotus corniculata Locally common in roadsides May become a problem in dry prairie Bird’s-foot Trefoil and pastures. and dolomite prairie habitats. Lysmachia nummularia Locally common in moist May persist in seeps and fens. Moneywort soils. Lythrum salicaria Very rare on MNTP. Serious invader of wetlands (including Purple Loosestrife wet prairie) throughout the Midwest. Appendix C C-3 Invasive Species Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Final Environmental Impact Statement Scientific name Abundance at Midewin Comments Common Name Maclura pomifera Originally planted as living Invades open grasslands. Management Osage-orange fence; now widespread in complicated because of use by RFSS grasslands, pastures, and (loggerhead shrike) floodplain forests. Malus prunifolia Planted as ornamental; Potential invader of grasslands and Plum-leaved Crab Apple