Worst invasives

Crawford Neil Neil.Crawford@volvo.com
Fri, 31 Jul 2009 05:14:33 PDT
Thats funny, here in Western Sweden ivy (Hedera helix) is quite rare 
and we're pleased to find ivy growing wild. Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) 
is more common but nontheless we were pleased when it turned up in our garden
a few years ago, bird spread I imagine, it's doing well and as it's growing in
a wild part it can stay. Our problem-invasives are for instance (I'm sure I'll
miss some) Japanese rose (Rosa rugosa), Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum)
Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica) and False oat grass (Arrhenatherum elatius).
I wouldn't say any of them are an enormous problem compared to our natural
vegetation which is quickly covering all our meadows and previously agricultural
areas, due to run-down of farming. The main problem for gardeners is the 
Spanish slug (Arion lusitanicus), we have been able to control them so far 
by chopping a couple of hundred (on a bad day) in half with a spade.   
/Neil


> 
> Incidentally, what are the worst invasives in your area? 
> Around here, Scotch 
> broom (Cytisus scoparius) and ivy (Hedera helix) are pretty 
> bad. Broom has been 
> an issue since the 1850s when six of twelve seeds planted at 
> Sooke BC by an 
> homesick early settler from Scotland germinated one spring, 
> but ivy has only 
> begun to cause serious trouble in the last ten years or so. 
> Sure, it was around 
> before then, but you didn't see it taking over the forest 
> floor in parks, 
> clambering up trees, and so on.
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Rodger Whitlock
> Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
> Maritime Zone 8, a cool Mediterranean climate
> on beautiful Vancouver Island
> 
>


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