Invasive Plant Management
Making a plan to remove the invasive plants on your property is one of the most important thing you can do to preserve habitat. Once a natural habitat is destroyed, you will never be able to fully restore it.
The word invasive has a specific, legal meaning. It refers to a plant or other organism that didn’t originally grow in an area and causes harm to the environment, economy, or people’s health. Native plants—plants that naturally grow in an area—are not considered invasive in their home regions, though they can sometimes grow quickly or take over a garden. To keep things clear, experts only use the word invasive for non-native species that cause harm.
If a species is causing environmental harm, it obviously should be removed if at all possible (and never planted.) Don’t be fooled by the term naturalized. This means a non-native plant has started growing in an area without being planted, but it doesn’t mean the plant is helpful or safe. Even if it doesn’t seem to be causing problems now, it still isn’t supporting local wildlife in the way native plants do. So be careful when people try to make invasive plants sound better by calling them “naturalized.”
Burning Bush esceped into woods
Start with a plant inventory
Every property is different. The types and amounts of invasive plants can vary, and every landowner may have different goals. Start by making a list—or even a map—of where the invasive plants are on your land. You don’t have to do this alone. Local experts like urban foresters or volunteers from the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance Wildlife Sanctuary can help you identify the plants. For businesses, volunteers can also work with landscaping companies to point out which plants are invasive.
Protect the canopy
One of the first things to protect is the tree canopy—the upper layer of leaves and branches in a forest. Vines that grow up and pull down trees are especially dangerous. When the canopy is lost, more sunlight reaches the ground, which can cause even more invasive plants to grow fast and take over.
It’s also important to deal with invasive trees. For example, the Tree of Heaven is a big problem because it helps spread the Spotted Lanternfly, a harmful insect now found in Virginia. It’s smart to remove Tree of Heaven early, but be careful about cutting down too many trees at once. That could let in too much light and make it easier for invasives to spread. It may be best to get rid of Tree of Heaven first but remove other invasive trees a few at a time.
The most important thing is to
GET STARTED!
Even if it seems overwhelming at first, if you chip away at it, you'll see a big improvement within a couple years.
Tree Rescuers Program
Join our corps of volunteers who are surveying their neighborhoods for trees at risk from invasive vines, and alerting their neighbors with a brochure.
How to Prioritize When You Have Lots of Invasive Plants
If you have a lot of invasive plants on your property, you probably can’t deal with them all at once. That’s okay. You just need a plan to figure out where to start. Here’s a sample way to organize your work:
What to Work on First
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Vines that are hurting trees – These are a top priority. Vines that climb and pull down trees can destroy important parts of the habitat.
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New or uncommon invasive plants – Get rid of these as soon as possible, before they spread and become a bigger problem.
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Good quality natural areas - If you have a healthy area with lots of native plants, protect it. If that habitat is surrounded by invasives, work outward from the edge.
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Special situations – Some invasives, like Tree-of-Heaven, should be removed quickly to help stop the spread of pests like the Spotted Lanternfly. You might also want to protect rare plants or special ecosystems. Plants that are dangerous to people should also be a high priority.
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Worst damage – Focus on the invasive plants that are causing the most harm to the environment.
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Where you can make a difference – Choose spots where your effort will really help in the long run. It’s smart to start where you can get results.
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"Shoot on sight" list – These are plants that you’ve already reduced to low numbers. When you see one, stop what you’re doing and get rid of it right away. Trees and less common plants are usually the first to go on this list.
If you still have time and energy after taking care of the priorities above, you can also think about things like:
• How the area looks (aesthetics)
• What the public thinks or how they use the area
• How close the invasives are to public trails, streams, or other places that help them spread
If you’re working near ponds, lakes, or streams, there are extra things to consider, especially if people swim, fish, or boat there. Invasive plants in the water can affect safety and recreation.
Expect a Long-Term Process
Removing invasive plants usually takes several years. For example, you might need to treat most invasive vines for three years. Wisteria often takes five years to control.
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Winter is a great time to work on invasives or hire someone to help. There are fewer leaves, no ticks, cooler temperatures, and less poison ivy..
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Remove plants before they make seeds if you can. It’s also easier to pull smaller plants, though sometimes cutting them early can let them grow back and make fruit later.
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Some plants need special care. For example, if you only cut down Tree-of-Heaven without killing it first, the roots can send up many new shoots. You have to treat it with the right method before cutting.
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Herbicides work best at certain times. The timing depends on the plant. Look up the right schedule for each species—check the Blue Ridge PRISM website for detailed help.
Tip for Slopes: If you remove invasive plants like English Ivy from a steep hill, you can cover the area with a special net made of jute fiber to help keep the soil in place.
Click here for a downloadable version with links to control methods
Resources
Virgnia Invasives Plant Coalition
Blue Ridge Prism
Mid-Atlantic Exotic Pest Plant Council
iNaturalist (for ID)
Virginia Invasive Plant Species List
(not comprehensive)
Don't kill the native vines!
The berries from native vines are a very important food for birds. They have the right nutrients and are ready at just the right time—such as during bird migration. Native vines seldom hurt the trees they grow on. Some examples of native vines are wild grapes, Virginia Creeper, and Greenbrier, but there are many more.
Some non-native vines, such as English Ivy, also climb straight up trees the way native ones do. But if you see a vine that wraps tightly around a tree like a rope and squeezes it, it’s probably not native. One exception is American Wisteria, which is native even though it twists around trees. American Wisteria is not native in Northern Virginia, though.
Volunteering
There are many organizations that need volunteers to do this. These groups are well set up to train you and ensure safety. Events take place year round and always need more help.
See the list on the
Note: In Virginia, only Certified Pesticide Applicators may
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use restricted herbicides (glyphosate and triclopyr are not restricted)
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use herbicides for hire
Anyone using herbicides, whether for pay or for free, must follow every instruction on the label about how to apply them, in what concentration, on what plant, and using which personal protective gear. "The label is the law." Some products must not be used near water bodies. Blue Ridge PRISM has helpful instructions.
Salt and vinegar are toxic to soil and not recommended.
Invasive Plant Removal Contractors
We are listing companies for your convenience, but aren't endorsing any of them.
Goats and Sheep: (This method is similar to using a brush hog machine: it reduces the bulk of the invasive plants (as well as any native plants) but does not kill the roots.)
Lamb Mowers Located in Fairfax.
More typical removal methods:
Sustainable Solutions
Shepherdstown, WV
https://sustainablesolutionsllc.net/
Invasive Plant Control, Inc
Tennessee (but they serve Northern Virginia)
Gainvesville, VA
Email Larissa Roeleveld or Jason Beeler.
Residential Reforestation
Brunswick, MD
Land + Forest Conservation Co
Fairfield, PA
Conservation Services, Inc.
Verona, VA
www.ConservationServicesInc.com
Eastern Forest Consultants
Christiansburg, VA
www.Easternforestconsultants.com
Virginia Forestry and Wildlife Group
Afton, VA
FDC Enterpises
Lynchburg, VA
Green Steeze
Northern Virginia
Including Forestry Mulching:
JR Landworks
Aldie, VA
Blue & Gray Contracting
Warrenton, VA
http://blueandgraycontracting.com/
English Ivy
Asian Wisteria
Miscanthus (Chinese Silvergrass)
Before/after Japanese Barberry removal
WIneberry: Before and After
W&OD Trail: Japanese knotweed, porcelainberry, Japanese stiltgrass, wineberry, garlic mustard, Hairy Bittercress, multi-flora rose, mile-a-minute, oriental lady’s thumb, and various other Asian ornamental grasses that have escaped from people’s yards.
ID and manual removal of common invasive species