Phragmites (Common Reed)

General Guidelines:

•Young, new plants can be controlled by hand pulling, making certain that the entire root system is removed.  If small fragments of root are left in the soil they may lead to reestablishment.  Also, stem fragments, if left in a moist soil, may root.

•Larger plants and large areas are much more difficult to handle.  One control method involves frequent cuttings/mowings.  The re-growth of phragmites after cutting is a natural process for that species.  It will require numerous cuttings before you can deplete the food supply being stored in its root system.  If only one or a few cuttings/mowings can be done, the most efficient time to do it is around the time the plant is forming its plume.  By this time it will have expended much of its reserve energy into getting ready to produce seeds.

•Another control method is, after cutting, to cover the plant remains to block sunlight and generate excess heat to the roots.  Clear or black plastic can be used.  Secure the edges down with soil, rocks, etc. to prevent light from reaching the plant.

•As for the seeds, most are not viable and do not produce new plants.  Phragmites is primarily spread vegetatively, but it never hurts to remove the seed heads.  Bag for disposal; do not put in a compost pile.

•Licensed professionals also use chemical means and prescribed burning procedures to control large, infested areas. This is an expensive, time-consuming process.

Purple Loosestrife

General Guidelines:

•Early detection is essential. Once a large population is established it is very difficult to remove. 

•Young, small plants may be removed by hand pulling.  Care must be taken to remove and bag all of the plant remains as purple loosestrife stem fragments can root.  

•The most effective management for older, larger plants is be a combination of practices. Such measures include frequent cutting to the ground and/or mowing. Again, great care must be taken to remove all of the plant remains as purple loosestrife stem fragments can root.  

•This plant spreads mainly by its seeds. Each plant can produce over 2 million seeds. If the plant has flowers in bloom care must be taken to remove the flower head, so as not to spread seeds on the ground, and then bag for removal.  Then, cut the remainder of the stem to the ground and bag, as above.  For an extra measure of safety, bagged plant material can be left on a paved area to bake in the sun for a few days before being disposed of.

•Some biological controls, using leaf-eating insects, have proven successful.

Volunteers are needed.  Please contact Tom or Adele to find out how you can help.

A. J. Furdyna, Woodlands & Wildlife Committee

ajfbarnowl@adelphia.net / 863-0630 

Tom Vogel, Lakes & Streams Committee

Upcountryarch@aol.com / 863-5776

Eastman

Invasive Plants Control Information

Invasive Plants in Eastman

Phragmites Identification Tips

•Plants grow to heights of 3-15+ feet!

•Stems are woody, round and hollow.

•Leaves are alternate and lance-like.  They taper to a long point and narrow slightly toward the stem.

•Feathery plumes are produced in mid-late summer, purplish at first, becoming tawny. Flowering occurs from July to September, later than for most grasses.  

Phragmites, also known as common reed (phragmites australis), is an invasive plant species most noticeable in the eastern states.  It is a large, bamboo-like, perennial grass, growing to impressive heights, with stout, cane-like stems and large, purple, feathery clusters of flowers.  It grows in wet soils, such as along the banks of lakes, streams, ditches and roadsides. Phragmites can even encroach into standing water up to 6 feet deep!  Consider this reed all along Eastman Lake shoreline.  It would not be a pretty sight!

Phragmites spreads primarily by long, creeping rhizomes (horizontal underground stems) that form extensive mats. Rhizomes can reach depths greater than 6 feet.  New plants can easily establish from rhizome fragments. Once established, this plant forms large, dense colonies over a large area, creating a monoculture that adversely alters the vegetative/wildlife culture that previously existed.

Control:  Young, new plants can be controlled by hand pulling, making certain the entire root system is removed.  If small fragments of root are left they may lead to reestablishment. Larger plants and large areas are much more difficult to handle.  Some control methods involve frequent cuttings and covering the plants, to block sunlight and generate excess heat to the roots.  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

  

   Purple Loosestrife Identification Tips

•A dense bush consisting of many stems arising from a root system which includes a woody crown and rhizomes.

•Stems upright and grow 2 to 6 feet.  They are usually branched, have fine hairs and are square or 6-sided.  They turn woody in summer.

•2 or 3 leaves are at lower stem nodes.  Leaves near the top are smaller.  Leaves turn red before falling off.

•Purple magenta flowers form distinctive terminal spikes. It blooms July through September.

Purple loosestrife (lythrum salicaria), a perennial plant once limited to gardens in the Northeast, now chokes wetlands across the country.  It is called the “purple plague”.  It occurs in natural and disturbed wetland habitats such as marshes, lakeshores and ditches. It grows most aggressively in wet areas, but also survives drier conditions.

Purple loosestrife produces millions of seeds which are readily dispersed by water, wind and humans. The seeds can live for several years in the soil.  It also spreads by rhizomes and stem fragments are capable of generating new plants. These qualities enable purple loosestrife to spread rapidly once established, and spread across many acres. It then crowds out other species, forming dense stands impenetrable by boat and difficult to walk through. These stands eliminate crucial open-water habitat for species such as waterfowl, small mammals and amphibians.

Control:  Early detection is essential to slow its spread.  Once established it is extremely difficult to remove.  The most effective management seems to be a combination of several practices in an integrated manner. Such measures may include frequent and continued hand pulling and mowing. Care must be taken to remove any residue that is created as purple loosestrife stem fragments can root producing new plants. Some biological controls, using leaf–eating insects, have proven successful.