Nonnative Invasive Plants of Southern Forests

Field Guide by James H. Miller

Presentation by Britta Dimick

New Employee Orientation November 4, 2004

• Presentation (<2 hours)invasive species introductionFIA P2-monitoring of invasivesinvasive species in the South

key characteristicsecology

pressed specimens

• Field identification (2 hours)

• Test (1 hr)

Agenda

Invasive Species• nonnative, introduced to an ecosystem

• introduction (potentially) causes economic or environment harm

• most arrived as ornamentals or for livestock forage

• without natural predators and disease that keep native plant populations in balance, they expand without competition or opposition

• reduce forest productivity

• hinder forest use for management or recreation activities

• diminish diversity, disturb wildlife habitats

• abundance, regional impact, range, and rate of spread are not well known; monitoring in necessary

P2 Invasive Species Data Collection

• every subplot with accessible forest condition

• 4 most dominant invasive species (from most to least)

• 4 digit code for species; 1st digit indicates life form

• code for percent cover

• Southern Region Nonnative Invasive Plant List33 species listed

Trees

Tree of Heaven (Alianthus altissima)

• Leaves: 2’ pinnately compound leaf stalk with swollen base leaflets arranged sub-opposite circular glands under lobes at leaflet base

• Resembles: Sumac

• Ecology: Forms thickets Shade and flood tolerant

Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin)

• Leaves: bipinnately compound leaflets <1” in length feathery/fern like appearance

• Stems: lenticels green-gray

• Resembles: Honey locust

• Ecology: Moist soil/stream banks open habitats

Princess Tree (Paulownia tomentosa)

• Leaves: opposite, entire heart shaped, fuzzy hairs ± 10X10 inches

• Flowers and fruit: erect pink panicles fruit capsules persistent

• Resembles: Catalpa

• Ecology: Forms colonies Forest margins

Chinaberry (Melia azedarach)

• Leaves: alternately whorled bipinnately compound leaflets serrated

• Resembles: Elderberry

• Ecology: forms colonies roadsides forest margins

Tallow Tree (Triadica sebifera)

• Leaves: alternately whorled heart shaped, entire 1-3” petioles

• Ecology: wet ditches, streambanks, riverbanks, uplands sites

• Leaves: deciduous, long lanceolate sparse silver scales above dense silver scales below

• Stems: thorny silver scales/smooth green-red

• Resembles: Thorny olive Autumn olive

• Ecology: forest margins forest openings

Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia)

Shrubs

• Leaves: evergreen, elliptic wavy margins silver scales above and below scattered brown scales below

• Stems: thorny brown, with brown scales

• Resembles: Russian olive, Autumn olive

• Ecology: scattered individuals occur in openings and in shade

Thorny Olive (Elaeagnus pungens)

• Leaves: deciduous, elliptic wavy margins pubescent, scale-less above dense silver scales below

• Stems: spur twigs common (thorny) grey-green, smooth, glossy

• Resembles: Russian olive, Thorny olive

• Ecology: individuals and stands occur in openings and in shade

Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata)

• Leaves: Opposite, obovate, acute margins crenate turns bright red in fall

• Stems: 4 corky wings or ridges

• Resembles: Blueberry

• Ecology: shade tolerant forest understory, openings, and margins

Winged Burning Bush (Euonymus alata)

• Leaves: opposite, in 2 rows elliptic, entire, ±1” hairy midvein below

• Ecology: forms dense thickets along forest margins

Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense)

Japanese Privet (Ligustrum japonicum)

• Leaves: opposite, leathery, 2-4” entire, margins yellow, margins turned upward

• Ecology: forms dense thickets along forest margins

Nandina (Nandina domestica)

• Leaves: alternately whorled pinnately compound leaf base clasps stem, V notch leaflets attached at red tinged joint which segments stalk

• Ecology: forest understory, margins

Multifloral Rose (Rosa multiflora)

• Plant: climbing, arching, or trailing recurved thorns

• Leaves: pinnately compound serrated leaflets leafstalk base clasping with bristles on margins

• Resembles: Carolina Rose

• Ecology: forms infestations forest margins

• Plant: shrub

• Leaves: opposite, ovate, acute entire • Resembles: Japanese honeysuckle

• Ecology: dense thickets on roadsides, open forests, forest margins

Amur Honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii)

Vines

Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)

• Leaves: opposite, in 2 rows, ovate entire, acute spring foliage lobed

• Stems: brown hairy, vine

• Resembles: Amur honeysuckle Yellow jassamine

• Ecology: most common invasive forest margins, openings forest understory and canopy

• Leaves: alternate, ± 3” margins blunt toothed

• Resembles: American bittersweet

• Ecology: forest margins, roadside

Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus)

Chinese Yam (Dioscorea oppositifolia)

• Leaves: heart shaped palmate veins, thornless

• Resembles: Greenbriar

• Ecology: forms dense thickets along forest margins

• Leaves: opposite, broadly oval margins crenate smooth, glossy

• Ecology: forms dense ground cover and climbs trees

Wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei)

Common/Big Periwinkle (Vinca minor/major)

• Leaves: opposite, narrow elliptic entire (<1” and >1.5”) smooth, glossy

• Ecology: forms dense thickets under forest canopies

Chinese/Japanese Wisteria(Wisteria sinensis/floribunda)

• Leaves: alternate, odd pinnately compound Chinese – 7-13 leaflets Japanese – 13-19 leaflets leaflets oval-elliptic, entire

• Resembles: Native wisterias Trumpet creeper

• Ecology: forms dense infestations wet to dry sites

• Leaves: alternate, dark green entire, 0-5 lobes thick, waxy, smooth

• Ecology: moist open forest

English Ivy(Hedera helix)

Kudzu (Pueraria montana)

• Leaves: trifoliate, alternate long tipped, slightly lobed leaflets

• Ecology: forms dense ground mats and invades the canopy

Grasses

Giant Reed(Arundo donax)

• Leaves: alternate, corn like, clasping/whitish base

• Flowers: erect

• Stem: overlapping sheaths

• Resembles: common reed

• Ecology: uplands, roadsides forest margins

• Leaves: midvein white above and green ridged beneath margins rough

• Flowers: plumed panicle drooping reddish seeds in fall

• Ecology: forest margins roadsides disturbed sites

Chinese Silver Grass (Miscanthus sinensis)

• Leaves: grass like, large hairs at base of petioles

• Stems: hollow, jointed canes, 1-6” in diameter,

• Ecology: escaped from old home sites, moist areas

Golden Bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea)

• Leaves: midvein whitish and off-center

• Flowers: terminal, thin, raceme

• Stems: overlapping sheaths hairless nodes and internodes

• Ecology: moist areas

Napalese Brown Top (Microstegium vimineum)

• Leaves: rising from the base sheaths overlap, hairy midvein off-center

• Seeds: silvery hairy husks

• Ecology: full sun, colony forming

Tall Fescue (Lolium arundinaceum)

Cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica)

• Leaves: basal, white flared collar

• Stems: swollen light green nodes

• Resembles: other grasses

• Ecology: forms extensive colonies

Ferns

Japanese Climbing Fern (Lygodium japonicum)

• Leaves: opposite on vine, compound, triangular outline

• Resembles: American climbing fern

• Ecology: open forests, forest margins, ROWs, dense mats

Forbs

Garlic Mustard (Allaria petiolata)

• Leaves: early basal rosette kidney, heart, or triangle shaped margins coarsely toothed • Ecology: floodplains forest understory forest openings forest margins

Chinese Lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata)

• Leaves: alternate, crowded, numerous trifoliate, leaflets long/slender

• Flowers: white with purple markings

• Resembles: native lespedeza

• Ecology: forest openings, upland woods savannas, old fields, ROWs, forms infestations

Shrubby Lespedeza (Lespedeza bicolor)

• Leaves: alternate, crowded, numerous trifoliate, leaflets elliptic

• Flowers: purple

• Resembles: native lespedeza

• Ecology: forest openings, upland woods savannas, old fields, ROWs, forms infestations

Tropical Soda Apple (Solanum viarum)

• Leaves: ± 6 X 4 inches deeply lobed, velvety hairs thorns on veins and petiole

• Stems: 3-6 feet tall thorns

• Resembles: Horsenettle • Ecology: open sites

QUESTIONS?