Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group

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Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG) 2024 Annual Report

The Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG) is a consortium of individuals, members of environmental organizations, and affiliates of municipal and state agencies whose mission is to promote awareness of invasive plants and their non-invasive exotic and native alternatives.  Formed in 1997 as an ad-hoc group, CIPWG is now in its 27^th year of operation.  The working group meets 1 to 2 times per year to collaborate and share information on the presence, distribution, ecological impacts, and management of invasive plants affecting Connecticut and the region and to promote uses of native or non-invasive alternatives.  CIPWG members are affiliated with federal and state agencies, municipalities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), educational institutions, the green industry, and the general community.  Rose Hiskes (Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station), Vickie Wallace (UConn Extension), and Emmett Varricchio serve as CIPWG Co-Chairs.

Ms. Wallace also serves as CIPWG’s liaison to UConn, which hosts CIPWG’s website (cipwg.uconn.edu). Alyssa Siegel-Miles and Sara Tomis serve as the CIPWG webmasters. The website provides information on invasive plant topics that include identification, management, various lists of invasive plants, photos of invasive plants, invasive alternatives, resources, legislative updates, and Connecticut Invasive Plants Council activities. In addition to the Connecticut List of Invasive and Potentially Invasive Plants determined by the Connecticut Invasive Plants Council in accordance with Connecticut General Statutes §22a-381a through §22a-381d, the website includes an Early Detection list and a Research List of plants for which more research is needed. The CIPWG website provides links to the Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System (EDDMapS, eddmaps.org) to submit reports of invasive plants. Additional features include a photo notebook with a gallery of Connecticut invasive plants and links to invasive plant fact sheets and management information. During the 2024 calendar year, there were 89,000 page views on the CIPWG website, and 47,000 users participated in 62,000 sessions. Users arrive at the site primarily (84%) through search results. The most visited pages are the Invasive Plant List (33K), the home page (9.2K) and the 2024 plant symposium page (3.7K).

CIPWG’s news and events listserv has approximately 1350 members from Connecticut and other states in the region. Requests to subscribe to the listserv may be submitted online from the CIPWG website.

The Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group maintains the following subcommittees:

• Education and Outreach (educational outreach about invasive species and their alternatives)
  • CIPWG display was used at 5 events around the state in 2024.
  • Outdoor Educators held 6 free “Walk, Talk and Cut” events in 5 of Connecticut’s counties.
    • 96 people attended these events.
  • Management (develop and disseminate information on invasive plant control options)
  • Native Alternatives (explore and promote the use of native plant species as alternatives to invasives)
    • Two publications that were released in 2023 are available on the CIPWG website: Pollinators in Gardens & Meadows and Deer Resistant Native Perennials.
  • Research List Review 
    • Developed criteria regarding additional plants on the CT Invasive Plant list to be prohibited from sale and presented recommendations to the CIPWG Steering Committee. The Steering Committee voted for the adoption of recommendations and presented the recommendations to the Invasive Plant Council in October 2024.
    • Reviewed plants to be added to the CIPWG Invasive Plant Research List.

Dr. Lauren Kurtz was hired as the UConn Invasive Species Outreach Specialist in January 2024. She has been a valued member of several CIPWG subcommittees and started the CIPWG Facebook page. As of December 2024, the page had 163 followers. 13,275 people have been reached through the page, with 12,204 views since September 2024.

CIPWG provides a List of Speakers who are available to give presentations on many invasive plant-related topics, including identification, control, and non-invasive alternatives. CIPWG members and volunteers coordinated and presented numerous lectures, workshops, demonstrations, guided field walks, and invasive plant management events during 2023. CIPWG also maintains exhibits that feature invasive terrestrial plants and aquatic species that have been displayed at public events.

Since 2002, CIPWG has hosted biennial invasive plant symposia. The twelfth biennial symposium was held in Storrs, CT on October 29, 2024, with 390 people attending. The symposium theme was Real Talk – Making an Impact in Invasive Plant Management. The all-day event featured regional and local experts as well as citizen volunteers sharing practical solutions for invasive plant management and actions needed to promote native species and improve wildlife habitat.

The morning session included a keynote presentation by Peter Picone, CT DEEP: “For the Love of Plants…To Plant or Not to Plant? A Wildlife Biologist’s Perspective” and “CIPWG’s Role in Combatting Invasive Plants” by Victoria Wallace and Lauren Kurtz, UConn, and Bryan Connolly, ECSU.

The afternoon breakout session speakers and titles were:

1) Case Studies in Managing Tree of Heaven and Mugwort: Speakers: Art Gover, Penn State; Jatinder Aulakh, CAES. Moderator: Todd Mervosh, TM Agricultural & Ecological Services

2) Leveraging Community Engagement: Speakers: Bill Marshall, South Windsor Invasive Plants Working Group; Greg Foran, Town of Glastonbury; Sarah Hutchison and Lisa Brodlie, Pulling Together. Moderator: Vickie Wallace, UConn, CIPWG Co-chair

3) Pollinator Meadows at Robbins Swamp Wildlife Management Area Help Support Native Wild Bees and Monarchs: Speakers: Kelsey Fisher and Tracy Zarrillo, CAES. Moderator: Joshua Tracy, South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority

4) Aquatic Invasive Plant Management and Prevention: Speakers: Jeremiah Foley and Greg Bugbee, CAES. Moderator: Lauren Kurtz, UConn

5) Common Questions about Invasive Plant Management (Panel): Speakers: Todd Mervosh, TM Agricultural & Ecological Services; Christian Allyn, Invasive Plant Solutions; Kathy Connolly, Speaking of Landscapes, Inc. Moderator: Emmett Varricchio, CIPWG Co-chair

6) Native Plant Availability: Speakers: David Lee, Saratoga Bareroot Nursery; Alyssa Siegel-Miles and Sara Tomis, UConn Extension; Darryl Newman, Planters’ Choice Nursery. Moderator: Peter Picone, CT DEEP

Symposium 2024 handouts, powerpoints, and information are available on the CIPWG website (cipwg.uconn.edu).

2024 Educational Outreach and Management Activities

CIPWG exhibits were displayed, invasive plant talks were presented, invasive plant educational materials were provided, and/or invasive plant management activities occurred at the following (see table below) local, statewide, and regional events during 2024. All towns are in CT unless otherwise noted; activities occurred in over 60 CT towns. At least 6,354 citizens directly and actively participated in the activities. A minimum of 21,313 hours were directly invested in invasive plant management, during intensive invasive plant training sessions and management activities, as well as educational outreach. Many (at least 32,525) were reached indirectly through articles, YouTube videos, social media, fact sheets, signs, and other educational mediums.

Location

Educator/ Leader/ Reporter

Program Title/Outreach Activity

# Partici-pants or Attendees

# Hours Contri-buted

Direct Participation

Ashford	Charlotte Pyle	Presentation for Ashford Conservation Commission and Pollinator Pathways – Nature’s Best Hope – Backyard Pollinator Gardens. Covered invasive listing criteria and harm caused plus ecological values of native alternatives; contributed to Q&A on use of native alternatives. Two CIPWG handouts provided (6/4)	20	30
Bethany	Alison Beres-Nork	Information table at Bethany Harvest Fest with educational materials/samples of invasive plants (October)	300	85
Bethany	Alison Beres-Nork	Guided walk on a Bethany Land Trust property and showing participants early signs of invasive spring growth (April)	20	80
Bridgeport	Greg Bugbee	Presented an Invasive Aquatic Plant Workshop to a middle school class at the Beardsley Park Zoo (3/26)	26	104
Bristol	Greg Bugbee	Presented an invited talk on “Update on Invasive Aquatic Plants in Connecticut” at the Connecticut Federation of Lakes annual meeting at the Bristol Nature Center (4/27)	66	264
Bristol	Greg Bugbee	Gave an invited talk entitled “Connecticut Invasive Aquatic Plant Update” at the Connecticut Association of Conservation and Inland Wetland Commission’s annual meeting at the Bristol Event Center (11/16)	56	112
Bristol	Rose Hiskes	CIPWG Display at CACIWC	200	50
Bristol	Lauren Kurtz	Presentation at CT Association of Conservation and Inland Wetland Commissions (CACIWC) Invasive Plant Updates & Prioritizing Management	100	150
Canaan	Tom Zetterstrom	Foliar spray of young bittersweet vines across Rattlesnake Hill (July-September)	2	18
Canaan	Tom Zetterstrom	Eradication of roadside mugwort with chemical treatment (July & August)	1	6
Canaan	Tom Zetterstrom	Management of herbaceous and woody invasives at Olle’s Woods (April-October)	1	100
Canton	Karen K Berger	Guided tours of the Collinsville Pollen Trail for Canton fifth grade classes focusing on insects and plants that co-evolved to benefit a single species or many, the ongoing restoration of the habitat from ground to canopy by removing Japanese knotweed and other invasive plants while planting natives and the nesting activity in the four bluebird boxes. The students planted cosmos seeds which were later transplanted into the native plant beds where they thrived all summer (5/20)	40	80
Canton	Karen K Berger	Collinsville Pollen Trail Invasive Plant Management, 234 hours from 75 volunteers over 35 days.	75	234
Canton	Karen K Berger	Mills Pond Recreation Center Invasive Plant Management, 65 hours from 25 volunteers over 13 days.	25	65
Cheshire	Karen Schnitzer	Removal and cutting of autumn olive, multiflora rose, and bittersweet (March)	1	4
Cheshire	Karen Schnitzer	Removal and cutting of barberry, burning bush, and autumn olive (April)	1	4
Cheshire	Karen Schnitzer	Removal and cutting of knotweed and bittersweet (May, June)	1	10
Cheshire	Karen Schnitzer	Removal and cutting of knotweed, forsythia, and bittersweet (July)	2	4
Cheshire	Karen Schnitzer	Removal and cutting of knotweed, mile-a-minute, and porcelain berry (August)	1	5
Cheshire	Karen Schnitzer	Invasive species removal (3/3)	4	7
Chester	Michael Cressman	Chester Land Trust (CLT) worked with Christian Allyn (owner/operator of the company Invasive Plant Solutions) for mitigation of Japanese Knotweed, Mugwort and Multiflora Rose mitigation at the Carini, Scudder and Rayner Preserves, which are CLT properties adjacent to the Pattaconk and Great Brooks. Japanese Knotweed was present all along the brook banks and near a gazebo at Carini Preserve and was the predominant plant at the Preserve prior to intervention, which began about 3 years ago (October)	10	80
Clinton	Greg Bugbee	Met virtually with the Lochwood Lake (Clinton) Board of Directors to discuss strategies for controlling variable watermilfoil and other nuisance vegetation	16	32
Coventry	Frank Belknap	Display and short presentation at Coventry senior center (5/29)	40	80
Coventry	Tony Demitraszek	Invasive plant removal activity: uprooted various invasive species: mainly Rosa Multi-flora with some barberry and burning bush (11/1)	1	8
Coventry and Mansfield	Eric Thomas	Water Chestnut (Trapa) recon and collection/upload disposal and reporting to Towns of Coventry and Mansfield as action step for their 2023 Eagleville Lake Aquatic Vegetation Management Plan (8/2, 8/8, 8/18, 8/28, 8/29)	24	88
East Granby	Catherine A Delasco	Invasive plant removal work parties. Cut/painted or dug up Oriental bittersweet, Japanese barberry, border privet, winged euonymus, multiflora rose, common greenbrier, common buckthorn, autumn olive, Japanese Knotweed. Simsbury Land Trust’s Invasive Plant Booklet provided (July-October)	20	800
East Haddam	Greg Bugbee	Gave an invited talk on “Hydrilla in the Connecticut River” at a United States Army Corps of Engineers public meeting at the East Haddam Town Hall on “Hydrilla in the Connecticut River” (6/27)	56	112
East Hampton	Greg Bugbee	Provided guidance at the “Hydrilla Rake the Lake Day” at Lake Pocotopaug in East Hampton (9/22)	16	64
East Hartford	Greg Bugbee & Summer Stebbins	Facilitated two Invasive Aquatic Plants Workshops at the Envirothon at Goodwin College (1/13)	57	342
East Lyme	Pollinator Pathway East Lyme Members	DEEP Wildlife Biologist Peter Picone and Dr. Charlotte Pyle lead a day long workshop.  Charlotte introduced invasive plants in New England, how they damage the environment via a PowerPoint presentation and then held a hands-on demonstration of live examples of invasive plants. She brought many branches, pods, seeds, etc. Peter Picone led a field site identification of invasives on the grounds of the East Lyme Community Center. For each invasive plant species, he explained how to eradicate and remove it. East Lyme town employees attended, 11 students from Three Rivers Community College Environmental Engineering program and many residents from southeastern CT attended. Pollinator Pathway East Lyme provided CIPWG Invasive Plant charts to all attendees (2/16)	37	225
East Lyme	Marjorie Meekhoff	Invasive Plant Management Activity/Training Workshop. Monthly chart for eradication was distributed (March through August)	4	102
East Lyme	Marjorie Meekhoff	Removal of Ailanthus (October)	3	4
Easton	Kathy Connolly	Presentation for the Easton Garden Club entitled “Three Ways to Fight Invasive Plants” (4/10)	36	38
Essex	Greg Bugbee	Presented an invited talk on “Invasive Aquatic Plants and Their Management” to the Essex Land Trust at the Essex Town Hall (4/3)	26	104
Falls Village	Tom Zetterstrom	Supervision of mugwort chemical treatment (July & August)	2	3
Falls Village	Tom Zetterstrom	Landscape Invasive Class at HVRHS (March)	15	10
Granby	Ted Goerner	Multi-day invasive plant lesson for the seventh graders of Granby Middle School. Students learned about Asiatic Bittersweet through a Google Slideshow. They then completed a packet that required them to learn key facts from the slideshow and the USGS key including positive identification.   We then went outside to cut berries off of the bittersweet plants covering a fence line.  They then analyzed the berries and plants to again positively identify it as invasive.  They collected a variety of data including number of seeds per berry (October)	160	640

Granby	Rose Hiskes	Invasive Plant Walk and Talk	12	19
Griswold	Greg Bugbee	Presented the results of the CAES OAIS 2023 aquic vegetation survey of Pachaug Pond to the Pachaug Pond Weed Control Authority at the Griswold Town Hall (2/28)	26	104
Guilford	Valerie Allgrove	Walk through of an area. Found Rosa multiflora, Common daylilies, garlic mustard, ramps, marsh marigolds, Witch-hazel, Lindera benzoin, skunk cabbage, and false Hellebores in area along a stream under Route 95 (4/10)	1	2
Haddam	Lauren Kurtz; CT DEEP	Water Chestnut Pull on Salmon River June 2024	15	75
Hamden	Greg Bugbee	Spoke on the history of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station as part of welcoming remarks to the United States Army Corps of Engineers Aquatic Plant Workshop hosted in the Jones Auditorium (9/10)	31	31
Hampton	Alan Freeman	Ongoing invasive eradication and control on managed forest land with passive recreation activities. Planting of 22 mixed hardwood and concolor fir tree seedlings to enhance woodland and habitat for bees, birds, other beneficial insects. Watering program throughout October of seedlings due to drought (April-October)	2	100
Hartford	Frank Belknap and Rose Hiskes	CT Flower show display and handouts provided as needed (2/22)	100	300
Hartford	Greg Bugbee	Spoke on hydrilla in the Connecticut River at a press conference hosted by Senator Richard Blumenthal at Riverside Park in Hartford (6/26)	26	52
Harwinton	Rose Hiskes	Invasive Plant Walk, Talk, Cut. Identification and management techniques for each species were discussed (11/2).	9	19
Hebron	Corinne Gordon Thurstan	Removal of over 250 Japanese barberry plants from private woodland area that abuts the salmon river forest. Working on invasive honeysuckle bush, climbing rose and poison ivy (5/24)	1	160
Litchfield County	Tom Zetterstrom	Advocated for roadside & riparian knotweed chemical control (July & September)	10	6
Lyme	Lyme Pollinator Pathway Members	Lyme Nix-the-Knotweed Days. Used method of 3s to remove Japanese knotweed from several manageable Town of Lyme plots – 4th year for three times a year cuts (May, June, August). Cut to the roots and disposed of the cuttings. Planted native plants last fall. The goal is education and encouragement for volunteers to tackle knotweed in their own neighborhood. Some participants from the past years no longer attend the work parties because they are tackling their own.	16	100
Lyme	Lyme Pollinator Pathway Members	Work and Learn Parties- Three 2-hour sessions to identify and remove Japanese barberry and other invasives at Lee Farm ruins in Hartman Park. About four acres of Japanese barberry heavy infestation was mowed with a rotary mower for three years. This year volunteers pulled the weakened barberry out by hand. Bushes that did not pull out easily were hand cut and painted with triclopyr herbicide. Removal of Winged euonymus, stiltgrass, narrowleaf bittercress, honeysuckle, and mugwort. Native plants are making headway.	15	30
Lyme	Lyme Pollinator Pathway Members	Work and Learn Party- Removal of spotted knapweed in Hartman Park Utility Right-of-way. Pulled it out by the roots and filled 12 bags for disposal.	5	12
Lyme	Wendolyn Hill and Professor Bryan Connolly	Work and Learn party- Lab for ECSU Biology of Plants class. 1-hour session to identify and remove autumn olive and other invasive plants at Hartman Park Utility right-of-way.	13	14
Lyme	Regan Stacy	Tree Collective, Lyme Land Trust Youth group (ages 14-18 yr) – Identification and removal of bittersweet in Hartman Park.	5	12
Lyme	Lyme Pollinator Pathway Members	Work and Learn Parties-Two 2-hr sessions to ID and remove Japanese barberry from Mt Archer Woods Preserve, Mt Archer Rd, Lyme (multi-year project). A combination of flail mower and rotary mowers were used for three years to mow a heavy infestation of about three acres of Japanese barberry. Pulled out winged euonymus and stilt grass. Native plants are making headway.	20	40
Manchester	Frank Belknap	Earth Day event: a display at sign table where top invasive plants were discussed (4/22)	50	100
Manchester	Donna Kaffenberger	Invasive Species walk at the Nike Site in Manchester, CT (7/6)	9	12
Manchester	Donna Kaffenberger	Invasive species identification walk at Cheney Trail in Manchester CT.  Gathered look-a likes to help people correctly identify Tree of Heaven compared to three different native Rhus and talked about the importance of having a complete plan in place for managing invasives, including thinking ahead and planning what you are going to plant once you remove the invasives to help prevent reinfestation (8/25)	16	18

Manchester	Lauren Kurtz	Invasive Plant Problems and Solutions – presentation at Manchester Public Library. June 2024	43	65
Middletown	Greg Bugbee	Gave an invited talk on “Hydrilla in the Connecticut River” at a United States Army Corps of Engineers public meeting at the Middletown Town Hall (6/4)	26	52
Middletown	Emily Picard	Site Visit – Walked the site of potential school farm and identified invasive species present. September 2024	3	3
Montville	Greg Bugbee	Staffed the CAES OAIS booth at the CT Boat Show at Mohegan Sun (1/20)	1	12
Montville	Greg Bugbee	Staffed the CAES Office of Aquatic Invasive Species table at the Connecticut Fishing and Outdoor Show at Mohegan Sun (3/24)	1	12
Morris	Greg Bugbee	Gave an Invasive Aquatic Plant Workshop to the Bantam Lake Protective Association at the Morris Town Hall (6/29)	56	112
Mystic	Lydia Pan	Guided tour for the public entitled “Management of Invasive Plants” at the Coogan Farm Nature & Heritage Center, offered in partnership with the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center. Topics included: Connecticut’s regulatory framework for invasive plants, CIPWG, how to identify and manage common invasive plants in springtime including fig buttercup, mugwort, multiflora rose, Japanese honeysuckle, Japanese barberry, Oriental bittersweet, autumn olive. Handouts included CT invasive plant list, top 10 management calendar and a curated list of Invasives and Native Alternatives Resources (4/13)	20	50
New Canaan	Laura Ferrera	Invasive plant removal activity: Wrenched out 30 + large Euonymus alatus on private 1/8 acre	4	10
New Canaan	Laura Ferrera	Invasive plant removal activity: Wrenched out 87 large Euonymus alatus on private 1/4 acre	2	52
New Canaan	Laura Ferrera	Invasive plant removal activity at Lee Memorial Garden: Wrenched out 5 large Euonymus alatus and a huge Berberis thunbergii in public dog-walking park	6	8
New Haven	Tracy L. Blanford	Removal of invasive plants and trail work at 16-acre city woodlands park with Park Friends group- Friends of Quarry Park (March through November)	45	90
New London	Taegan McMahon	Stiltgrass removal by botany class	30	30
New London	Anna Fialkoff	Stiltgrass removal by summer interns (weekly activity in July & August)	8	128
New London	Anna Fialkoff	Invasive plant removal by New Heights volunteer group (weekly activity throughout year)	6	480
New London	Anna Fialkoff	Invasive plant removal by A Behavioral Approach volunteer group (bi-weekly activity September-November)	4	26

New London	Anna Fialkoff	Invasive plant removal along front wall by A Behavioral Approach volunteer group (2 meetings)	4	24
New Milford	Alexandra Thomas	Identified invasives: Knotweed and Tree of Heaven (August)	3	10
New Milford	Kathleen Nelson	Invasive plant management activity: Mile-a-Minute Vine follow up (4 visits)	10	12
Newtown	Holly M. Kocet	Invasive management activity on both public and private lands, including MAM, Japanese Knotweed, Mugwort, Oriental Bittersweet, Winged Euonymus, Japanese Barberry, Japanese Stiltgrass (June through August)	10	120
Norwich	Greg Bugbee	Gave an Aquatic Plant Workshop to students at Three Rivers Community College (2/21)	46	184
Norwich	Greg Bugbee	Gave an invited virtual talk entitled “Connecticut’s Invasive Aquatic Plant Problem” to the Norwich Power Squadron (11/6)	11	22
Norwich	Alyssa Siegel-Miles, Sara Tomis	Invasive Plant Focus Group with Master Gardeners	10	20
Old Greenwich	Diana Klingner	Invasive plant management activity: spraying of mugwort in coastal dunes with salt solution (August)	3	12
Old Saybrook	Kathy Connolly	Cutting of barberry at The Preserve State Forest (1/6)	6	12
Old Saybrook	Kathy Connolly	Cutting of barberry at The Preserve State Forest (1/13)	11	22
Old Saybrook	Kathy Connolly	Cutting of barberry at The Preserve State Forest (3/16)	4	8
Old Saybrook	Kathy Connolly	Cutting of barberry at The Preserve State Forest (3/23)	7	14
Old Saybrook	Kathy Connolly	Plant Science Day table (8/7)	1	3
Plantsville	Kathryn Hanlon	Free presentation given at the Southington Public Library entitled “Alien Invaders Part I – Plants and Shrubs in Your Yard: How to ID and get rid of Burning Bush, Japanese Barberry, and Garlic Mustard” (4/30)	15	20
Plantsville	Kathryn Hanlon	Free presentation at the Southington Public Library with slides, plant examples, and a reference list. Presentation title: “Alien Invaders Part II – Creepers and Climbers in Your Yard: How to identify and work on eliminating knotweed, bittersweet, and mugwort.” (5/14)	15	20
Plantsville	Sara Tomis	Invasive Plant Focus Group at CNLA	4	8
Plantsville	Lauren Kurtz; Sara Tomis	CT Nursery and Landscape Association winter meeting sustainable landscapes/invasive species table Jan 2024	200	800

Plantsville	Lauren Kurtz; Dustyn Nelson	CT Nursery and Landscape Association winter meeting – presentation Jan 2024 – Unveiling the enigma: Understanding invasive plants.	200	400
Plantsville	Lauren Kurtz; Sara Tomis	CT Grounds Keepers Association winter meeting sustainable landscapes /invasive species table Feb 2024	400	800
Plantsville	Lauren Kurtz	CT Ag Expo table distributing information about pond IPM and phragmites	10	30
Pomfret	Noreene Stehlik	Knotweed removal at Abington Social Library (5/23-5/24)	4	12
Pomfret	Noreene Stehlik	Stakeholder meetings: Discussion of possible options to address knotweed infestation at Abington Social Library (6/19, 6/23)	3	6
Quaker Hill	Frederick Charles Shakir	Invasive plant management activity: Homeowner with land covered with Japanese Wisteria (10/21)	1	3
Ridgefield	Roberta Barbieri	Removal of burning bush from Aldrich Park in Ridgefield and attendance at Westchester County, NY annual symposium on invasives (October)	40	150
Ridgefield	Roberta Barbieri	Removal of invasive species from wetlands at McKeon Farm open space (August)	3	30
Roxbury	Kathleen Nelson	Invasive plant management activity: Mile-a-Minute Vine follow up (3 visits)	8	12
Salem	Mary Ellen Addy	Invasive plant management activity, field expedition, guided tour, site visit, and consultation	1	50
Salem	Greg Bugbee	Presented an invited talk on “Hydrilla in Gardner Lake” to the Gardner Lake Association at the Gardner Lake Volunteer Fire Department in Salem (8/15)	46	92
Salisbury	Tom Zetterstrom	Invasive plant management activity at Washinee Park (July)	1	3
Salisbury	Greg Bugbee	Presented talk entitled:” Lake Wononpakook:  2023 Aquatic Plant Survey and Management Options” to the Lake Wononpakook Association at the Salisbury Town Hall (3/16)	26	56
Sharon	Tom Zetterstrom	Two hands-on invasive workshops at the Sharon Land Trust (March & April)	8	48
Sharon	Tom Zetterstrom	Cutting and treating of 2000 bittersweet vines at Hamlin Preserve (March-September)	30	240
Sharon	Tom Zetterstrom	Development of management and restoration plan for Hamlin Conifer Grove (June-August)	1	20
Sharon	Tom Zetterstrom	Lecture for Sharon Garden Club (March)	26	50
Sharon	Kathleen Nelson	Preparation of educational handout on porcelain berry	1	30

Shelton	Kris Nichols	Removal of targeted invasives from Sugar Bush area at Nicholdale Farm property. Invasives needing control were winged euonymus, barberry, Asiatic bittersweet, and multiflora rose. Education on the species and their removal was provided to volunteers on the species (including CIPWG fact sheets) as well as how to place the invasives on existing brush piles to ensure plant death (6/15)	8	27
Shelton	Joe Welsh	Management of tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) encroaching along western border of Nicholdale Farm property including the western border of the main parking area. The “hack and squirt” method was used with good results. Control of lantern flies discovered during treatment to the trees, including follow-up check-ins to observe effectiveness of treatment (July & August)	1	12
Shelton	Kris Nichols	Mowing of A Crown Tool property at Nicholdale Farm to mitigate Autumn Olive (7/24)	1	4
Shelton	Kris Nichols	General invasive removal, clearing around trees, stone walls, bridges, along fences and in the Scout area at the Nicholdale Farm property. Invasive species removed included winged euonymus, barberry, multiflora rose, Asiatic bittersweet, porcelain berry or other invasive grape vine species as well as an abundance of poison ivy (May-August)	14	58
Shelton	Joe Welsh	Management to Japanese Knotweed along main parking area at Nicholdale Farm property. A summer cut followed by monitoring pulling of regrown (July-September)	2	7
Shelton	Kris Nichols	Invasive plant management activity at the Scout camp area on the Nicholdale parcel. Clippers and buckthorn blasters were used as well as a root wrench and a gas-powered handheld brush cutter. CIPWG invasive sheets for winged euonymus, barberry and Asiatic bittersweet were on hand (11/3)	7	20.5
Sherman	Lori Lichtenauer	Deer Pond Farm – All Habitat Services managed invasive Japanese stiltgrass via foliar spray April 2024	5	60
Sherman	Lori Lichtenauer	Deer Pond Farm – All Habitat Services managed invasive mugwort, Canada thistle, Japanese barberry, Black locust, Oriental bittersweet, multiflora rose, and winged euonymus via foliar spray, April 25-26	5	60
Sherman	Lori Lichtenauer	Deer Pond Farm – All Habitat Services managed invasive Phragmites australis via foliar spray July 22	5	15
Sherman	Lori Lichtenauer	Deer Pond Farm – All Habitat Services managed invasive Mugwort, Canada thistle, Japanese barberry, Black locust, Oriental bittersweet, multiflora rose, and winged euonymus, via foliar spray August 26	4	88
Sherman	Lori Lichtenauer	Deer Pond Farm – All Habitat Services managed invasive Phragmites australis, via foliar spray September 25	4	8
Sherman	Lori Lichtenauer	Deer Pond Farm – Treat black locust sprouts with cut and paint	2	10
Simsbury	Margery Winters	Several presentations, workshops on invasive plants and 19 invasive plant removal workdays for the removal of invasive plants on Simsbury Land Trust and Town of Simsbury land.  The Simsbury Land Trust also created and mailed their own invasive plant removal guide (based in part on CIPWG information and information from the Penn State Agricultural extension website and others) to all property owners in Simsbury. This booklet is also being distributed to by the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild & Scenic Committee as well as other local groups (April-November)	50	470
Simsbury	Rose Hiskes	Invasive Plant Walk and Talk. Identification and management techniques for each species were discussed (10/12).	4	8
Simsbury	Rose Hiskes	Invasive Plant Talk sponsored by Garden Club. Discussion lead by Rose Hiskes, the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group and the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (4/23)	30	32
South Windsor	Bill Marshall/ South Windsor Invasive Plants Working Group	South Windsor Farmers Market. Invasive plants educational booth and discussion with interested individuals; recruiting volunteers for Work Parties. 6/29/24 and 7/27/24	75	20
South Windsor	Bill Marshall/ South Windsor Invasive Plants Working Group	Earth Day Celebration, South Windsor Heritage Day, South Windsor Apple Fest Celebration. Invasive plants educational booth and discussion with interested individuals; recruiting volunteers for Work Parties. 4/21/24, 9/28/24, 10/5/24	120	30
South Windsor	Bill Marshall/ South Windsor Invasive Plants Working Group	Invasive plants educational presentations at SW Library and Pollinator Pathways Meeting. 2/9/24, 10/8/24	18	40
South Windsor	Bill Marshall/ South Windsor Invasive Plants Working Group (SWIPWG)	SWIPWG is a partnership between the Town (Public Works Department, Parks and Recreation Department, and Environmental Planning) and Town residents to manage invasive plants in a 5- acre Town owned wooded Open Space. Activity consisted of Work Parties to remove/manage invasive plants, mentor volunteers in invasive plant ID/management. Two Kiosks were installed (Eagle Scout project) at two entrances to Invasive Plants Education Area. Approx. 35 native plants were planted. Planning underway for 2025 – educational signage along Invasive Plants ID trail and official opening to public. 4/6/24, 5/4/24, 6/1/24, 8/3/24, 9/7/24, 10/5/24, 11/5/24; 12/7/24. These educational materials were distributed at events and are provided to all new volunteers. ·       CIPWG “Connecticut Invasive Plant Management Calendar” ·       CIPWG “Connecticut ‘s Top Ten Invasive Plants” ·       “Invasive Plants in Your Backyard” booklet published by CT River Coastal Conservation District	60	330

Sprague	Krystle Daniels	Removal of Japanese barberry, burning bush, bittersweet, autumn olive, Japanese stiltgrass, and multiflora rose on 17 acres of private property (May-November)	1	150
Stafford Springs	Rose Hiskes	Invasive Plant Talk sponsored by Conservation Commission. Discussion led by Rose Hiskes, The Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group and The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (4/22)	19	22
Stamford	Dianne Farley	Removal of multiflora rose, oriental bittersweet, grape, other vines, and phragmites while cleaning up Chestnut Hill Park along the south border wall.  Over 100 feet of wall and land has been cleared and is under tarp for eventual planting (June through September)	3	108
Stamford	Dianne Farley	Eradication of invasive plants from the southwest side of the stream in Chestnut Hill Park. In the past three years, over 100 x 20 feet have been tarped to prevent growth (May-August)	3	84
Stamford	Laura Ferrera	Invasive plant removal activity at Mianus River State Park: Wrenched out huge wineberry infestation at entrance of popular local park. 40+ Rubus phoenicolasius root crowns wrenched out, as well as artemisia, porcelainberry, and small multi-crowned Tree of Heaven roots.	5	30
Storrs	CIPWG Symposium Attendees and Speakers	The twelfth biennial symposium was held in Storrs, CT on October 29, 2024, with 390 people attending. The symposium theme was Real Talk – Making an Impact in Invasive Plant Management.  The all-day event featured regional and local experts as well as citizen volunteers sharing practical solutions for invasive plant management and actions needed to promote native species and improve wildlife habitat. Symposium 2024 handouts, powerpoints, and information are available on the CIPWG website.	390	3420
Storrs	Lauren Kurtz	UConn Turf field day Invasive Species Workshop – Common invasive plants and management strategies in managed landscapes. July 2024	15	30
Uncasville	Lauren Kurtz	Fishing and Outdoor Show – hosted table about aquatic invasive species. March 2024.	35	105

Vernon	Rose Hiskes	Invasive Plant Walk, Talk, Cut. Identification and management techniques for each species were discussed (7/20).	9	20
Vernon	Rose Hiskes	Invasive Plant Walk and Talk.  Identification and management techniques for each species were discussed.	7	15
Vernon	Rose Hiskes	Newhoca Park Plant Pulls	3	8.5
Waterbury	Greg Bugbee	Presented an invited talk on “Invasive Aquatic Plants and Their Management” at a CT DEEP training program at the American Jobs Center in Waterbury (4/24)	26	104
West Hartford	Beth Ann Loveland Sennett	Management activities associated with a long-term restoration project of West Hartford Garden Club’s long-term restoration project at Spicebush Swamp Park, as well as “walk and talk and cut” parties. CIPWG handouts provided.  Invasive plants targeted were primarily Multiflora Rose, Buckthorn, Japanese Knotweed, Oriental Bittersweet, Mugwort, and Japanese Stiltgrass.	25	889
West Hartford	Beth Ann Loveland Sennett	Invasive plant removal parties at Wojan’s Woods in West Hartford, a conservancy urban woods, in collaboration with Traprock Ridge Land Conservancy.	25	112
Weston	Sarah Hutchison, Lisa Brodlie	Weston has logged 352 hours this year including internships, school pulls, administration hours associated with acquiring conservation permits, and the special barberry project at Lachat Town Farm.	20	352
Westport	Faith Novella	Community Volunteer Day at Earthplace in Westport – 15 volunteers and 3 staff spent 2 hours removed Japanese honeysuckle and Asiatic bittersweet. CIPWG handouts on the two species were provided (9/7)	18	36
Westport	Faith Novella	Invasive Plant Removal program at Earthplace – main focus was autumn olive, wineberry, and bittersweet (6/27)	5	6
Wilton	Joe Bear	Invasive Plant Management Activity at Allen’s Meadow- Native Pollinator Meadow: Continuation of plan, now in its 4th year, of eradicating 3/4 acre of Mugwort and replacing it with a native pollinator meadow of forbs and grasses. This growing season saw the germination of a custom meadow mix I put together using Ernst Seeds and sowed in Nov 2023.  While the process of tarping the Mugwort for 2 years prior seemed to have killed most of the plants, countless hours were spent all growing season long pulling out Mugwort seedlings- e.g. just as my meadow mix saw nice germination, unfortunately so did the 2 decades of Mugwort seeds in the seed bed! 1,000s of seedlings were pulled, and I expect to have to stay on top of this next year too.  The meadow was mowed in late June, July, and August to encourage vegetative preproduction (strong root system).  As many of the annual species (e.g. R. hirta, C. fasciculata) may not have had a chance to drop their seed given the mowing, I will overseed with just these few species in Dec 2025 to put them back into the meadow’s life cycle. Thankfully I was able to log in the many hours I put into the meadow management to my Master Gardener Intern requirements (April-October). I’ve held 4 community volunteer days pulling out these Mugwort seedlings.  See article: https://goodmorningwilton.com/mugwort-eradication-pollinator-allens-meadow-letter-to-editor	40	120

Windsor Locks	Rose Hiskes	Invasive Plant Talk and Cut	7	15
Woodbridge	Alison Beres-Nork	Information table with CIPWG handouts and samples of invasive plants at the Woodbridge Earth Day event. Stayed on site to answer questions about ID, removal, etc. (April)	500	130
Woodstock Valley	Noreene Stehlik	Preparation of 3 articles on invasives (winged euonymus, Asian bittersweet, porcelainberry) for Quiet Corner Garden Club (Northeastern Connecticut) monthly newsletter (for April, May, October), with citation to CIPWG invasive plant listing	1	9
Connecticut	Vickie Wallace, Alyssa Siegel-Miles, Lauren Kurtz, Sara Tomis	UConn Extension Sustainable Landscapes Program is developing an Invasive Plant Certificate Program to equip stakeholder groups of varied experiential backgrounds with the information needed to evaluate, manage, and mitigate populations of invasive species in Connecticut. This program will consist of eight asynchronous modules. The audience for this program will include land managers, conservation commission members, green industry professionals, municipal staff, advanced volunteers and homeowners interested in learning more about invasive plants and effective management strategies. Planning, curriculum development, speaker recruitment, filming, editing, and module development were executed this year.	10	150
Connecticut	Vickie Wallace	UConn Master Gardener Course. Instructor. Developed new modules on turfgrass with coverage of invasive plants management. Delivered in-person lectures. Vernon, March 23, 2024 (65 in attendance); New Haven, March 21, 2024 (44 in attendance); Torrington, March 20, 2024 (25 in attendance); Norwich, March 12, 2024 (48 in attendance); Stamford, March 11, 2024. (29 in attendance).	212	2170
Connecticut	Vickie Wallace	2024 ECSU SustainableCT Program, Reviewer. Review invasive plant submissions.	1	16
Virtual	Vickie Wallace	UConn Fundamentals of Home Gardening Master Gardener Course. Instructor. Developed module on turfgrass with coverage of invasive plants management for asynchronous class. 14 in attendance.	15	115
Virtual	Kathy Connolly	Webinar presentation sponsored by the American Horticultural Society entitled “3 Ways to Fight Invasive Plants” (1/10)	45	48
Virtual	Greg Bugbee	Presented update on “CAES OAIS and Hydrilla in the CT River” at a virtual meeting sponsored by the Connecticut River Conservancy (1/29)	26	52
Virtual	Greg Bugbee	Gave an update on OAIS efforts to address hydrilla in the CT River at the quarterly CT DEEP Hydrilla Task Force meeting (4/29)	26	26
Virtual	Greg Bugbee	Gave an update on OAIS efforts to address hydrilla in the CT River at the quarterly CT River Conservancy DEEP Hydrilla Task Force meeting (4/29)	26	26
Virtual	Greg Bugbee	Spoke at a United States Army Corps of Engineers “Hydrilla in the Connecticut River Demonstration Project” information seminar on CAES/OAIS discovery and surveillance on the problematic invasive plant (5/29)	26	52
Virtual	Greg Bugbee	Gave an update on “Hydrilla in the Connecticut River and its Spread to Lakes” at a virtual meeting of the Connecticut River Conservancy (8/13)	26	52
Virtual	Greg Bugbee	Met via video conference with the United States Army Corps of Engineers Hydrilla Research and Demonstration Education & Outreach Working Group to discuss the CT River Hydrilla Project (8/19, 8/22)	16	32
Virtual	Greg Bugbee	Presented an invited talk entitled “The March of Hydrilla in Connecticut” at the 2024 Virtual CT Lake Symposia hosted by Western Connecticut State University (9/23)	101	202
Virtual	Greg Bugbee	Participated (virtually) in the USACE/ MADCR Hydrilla Demo Project Expansion Planning Meeting (10/3)	16	32
Virtual	Greg Bugbee	Participated (virtually) in the CT DEEP Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force quarterly meeting (10/7)	16	32
Virtual	Greg Bugbee	Participated (virtually) in the CT Invasive Plant Working Group Steering Committee (10/10)	21	21
Virtual	Greg Bugbee	Participated (virtually) in the Hamburg Cove Hydrilla Management Group (October 15) (15 participants) (2 hours).	15	30
Virtual	Greg Bugbee	Gave an invited virtual talk entitled “Hydrilla in the Connecticut River – The Case for United States Army Corps of Engineers Assistance” to the Massachusetts Resource Agency Workshop (10/24)	26	52

Virtual	Rose Hiskes, Vickie Wallace, Emmett Varicchio	CIPWG Symposium Planning Meetings	15	160
Virtual	Rose Hiskes, Vickie Wallace, Emmett Varicchio	CIPWG Steering Committee Meeting. Discussed report from CIPWG Invasive Plant Review Subcommittee and voted on proposal to bring to Invasive Plants Council.	15	60
Virtual	Alyssa Siegel-Miles, Sara Tomis, Lauren Kurtz, Pete Picone, Rose Hiskes, Lisa Brodlie	Invasive Plant Focus Group with CIPWG Steering Committee	15	30
Virtual	Vickie Wallace, Alyssa Siegel-Miles, Lauren Kurtz, Pete Picone, Bryan Connolly, Josh Tracy, Dave Laiuppa	CIPWG Invasive Plant Review Subcommittee	7	70
Virtual	Lauren Kurtz	Master Gardener Hot Topics presentation July 2024 – Newly listed invasive plants and native alternatives	547	547
Virtual	Lisa Brodlie	CIPWG info line inquiries: Logged in to a database with all reports written in to the CIPWG info line reporting invasives, answered each inquiry and assisted all in finding out to whom these sitings are to be reported according to each town’s employees pertaining to invasive plants. Referred specific inquiries and issues to CIPWG specialists about certain invasive plants for follow up and/or assistance in combating the issues reported. Recommended speakers for some of the issues presented and recommended companies who can deal with massive invasive problems (May-December)	1	50
TOTAL DIRECT:			6,067	20,913
Out of State Activity:
Location	Educator/ Leader/ Reporter	Program Title/Outreach Activity	# Partici-pants or Attendees	# Hours Contri-buted
Agawam, MA	Greg Bugbee	Toured the northernmost Connecticut River hydrilla infestation in Agawam, MA with officials from the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (9/23)	16	32

Stockbridge, MA	Tom Zetterstrom	Lecture for Laurel Hill Association entitled “Saving Trees from Bittersweet” (January)	50	100
Turners Falls, MA	Victoria Wallace	“Bee” Pollinator Mindful: Lawn Care Best Practices to Support Pollinator Health with coverage of invasive plants management. Atlantic Golf and Turf Educational Workshop. February 21, 2024. 150 in attendance.	150	170
Portsmouth, NH	Greg Bugbee	Gave an invited talk entitled “Hydrilla in the Connecticut River Update” at the annual meeting of the Northeast Aquatic Nuisance Species Panel at the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Conservation Headquarters in Portsmouth, New Hampshire (10/21, 45 attendees). Elected Co-Chair of the Panel (25 participants) (2 hours).	71	98
TOTAL (OUT-OF-STATE):			287	400

Indirect Participation (e.g., Articles, Interviews, Podcasts)

Location	Educator/ Author/ Reporter	Program Title/Outreach Activity	# Participants
Connecticut	Dave Peck	News broadcast by NBC Connecticut. CT adds to invasive plants species list for first time in several years. May 21, 2024. https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/invasive-plants-species-list-connecticut/3295380/#:~:text=New%20to%20the%20list%20include,up%20for%20NBC%20Connecticut%20newsletters	1000
Connecticut	Sara Tomis, Lauren Kurtz, Alyssa Siegel-Miles, Victoria Wallace	Journal article: Tomis, S. M., L. E. Kurtz, A. J. Siegel-Miles, and V. Wallace. 2024. Determining Need: Opportunities for Connecticut Invasive Plant Programming. HortTechnology, 34(4), p. 485–492. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH05467-24	100
Connecticut	Lauren Kurtz, Alyssa Siegel-Miles, Victoria Wallace	University of Connecticut invasive plant publication: Kurtz, L., A. Siegel-Miles, and V. Wallace. 2024. Invasive Species Profile: Hydrilla verticillata. Univ. of Connecticut, Storrs, CT. 4 pp. https://doi.org/10.61899/ucext.v1.061.2024	200
Connecticut	Ruth Epstein	Article in Republican America. In Your Corner: State agency honors Canaan man’s love of trees. November 12, 2024. https://www.rep-am.com/localnews/2024/11/12/in-your-corner-state-agency-honors-canaan-mans-love-of-trees/	100
Connecticut	Gabriel Duffany	Article in UConn Daily Campus. UConn hosts 12th bi-annual invasive plant summit. October 30, 2024. https://dailycampus.com/2024/10/30/uconn-hosts-12th-bi-annual-invasive-plant-summit/	200
Connecticut	Alec Linden	Article in Lakeville Journal. Tom Zetterstrom receives award for work managing invasive plant species. November 6, 2024. https://lakevillejournal.com/tom-zetterstrom-receives-award-for-work-managing-invasive-plant-species	100

Connecticut	Kathy Connolly	Article in The Day. Your Turn: Invasive-plant symposium gets in the weeds, literally. October 8, 2024. https://www.theday.com/columns/20241008/your-turn-invasive-plant-symposium-gets-in-the-weeds-literally/	500
Connecticut	Jennifer Ahrens	Connecticut Public Radio. How to stay ahead in the battle against invasive plants in your yard. August 26, 2024. https://www.ctpublic.org/news/2024-08-26/get-rid-invasive-plants-backyard-lawn-care-connecticut	500
Connecticut	Vincent Gabrielle	Article in CT Insider. Smelly Bradford pear tree among CT’s latest invasive plant. Here’s what else was added to the list. May 21, 2024. https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/ct-gov-lamont-invasive-plant-list-smelly-pear-tree-19461468.php.	500
Connecticut	Stephen Underwood	Article in Hartford Courant. Invasive plants cause natural havoc across CT. A UConn grad is fighting it a property at a time. December 10, 2024. https://www.courant.com/2024/12/10/invasive-plants-are-spreading-throughout-ct-one-uconn-grad-is-fighting-back-one-property-at-a-time/?share=eant1pt4osp1hvhtaogo.	500
Connecticut	Anne Rowlands	Article in Connecticut Gardener, May/June 2024: Vol 30 No 2. Invasive Princess Tree/Paulownia tomentosa. https://www.conngardener.com/invasive-princess-tree/	3,000
Connecticut	Anne Rowlands	Article in Connecticut Gardener, Jul/Aug 24: Vol 30 No 3. Invasive Japanese Angelica Tree / Aralia elata  https://www.conngardener.com/invasive-japanese-angelica-tree/	3,000
Connecticut	Anne Rowlands	Article in Connecticut Gardener, Sep/Oct 2024: Vol 30 No 4. Official List of Invasive Plants Grows (about new additions to CT’s IP list). https://www.conngardener.com/official-list-of-invasive-plants-grows/	3,000
Connecticut	Anne Rowlands	Article in Connecticut Gardener, Winter 2024-25: Vol 30, No 5. Invasive Quackgrass / Elymus repens. https://www.conngardener.com/invasive-quackgrass/	3,000
Connecticut	Greg Bugbee	Interviewed by Ed Mahoney of the Hartford Courant on hydrilla in the Connecticut River (October 3) resulting in a frontpage article October 7  https://www.courant.com/2024/10/07/scientists-put-herbicide-in-the-ct-river-why-its-like-conquering-a-monster-in-the-waterway	1000

Connecticut	Greg Bugbee	Interviewed by Brian Murphy of the United States Army Corps of Engineers Press Corps on hydrilla in the Connecticut River (8/13)	50
Connecticut	Greg Bugbee	Interviewed by Debra Aleksinas of the Lakeville Journal on hydrilla in Connecticut (9/9) https://lakevillejournal.com/connecticut-hydrilla-treatment	500
Connecticut	CIPWG, Lauren Kurtz, Alyssa Siegel-Miles	Started a new CIPWG Facebook page. As of December 2024, the page had 163 followers. 13,275 people have been reached, 12,204 views since September 2024	13,275
Connecticut	Alec Linden/ Tom Zetterstrom	Article in Lakeville Journal. HVRHS students shown the danger of invasives – and how to fight them. November 26, 2024. https://lakevillejournal.com/hvrhs-students-shown-the-danger-of-invasives-and-how-to-fight-them	1000
Connecticut	Abby Weiss, Victoria Wallace	V. Wallace, Interviewee. What to know about invasive Japanese knotweed threatening native plants in Connecticut. Abby Weiss. CT Insider. Sep 20, 2024. https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/japanese-knotweed-ct-invasive-plant-19770759.php	1000
TOTAL INDIRECT:			32,525

Submitted by Victoria Wallace (UConn Extension, CIPWG co-chair), with contributions from Rose Hiskes (CIPWG co-chair) and many other CIPWG members included above. December 2024

Por Victoria Wallace y Alyssa Siegel-Miles, UConn Extension. Traducido por Carla Caballero

 Visión general                                                                                                               

La población de venados de cola blanca (Odocoileus virginianus) en Connecticut ha aumentado dramáticamente, de muy pocos a principios del siglo 20 a más de 100,000 en la actualidad. Este crecimiento se debe a la escasez de depredadores y la capacidad de los venados para reproducirse rápida y abundantemente. Al mismo tiempo, las áreas de vegetación natural se han visto muy disminuidas, ya que se han construido vecindarios dentro del territorio natural de los venados, lo que ha llevado a un aumento en el daño por alimentación de los especímenes de plantas hortícolas. La sobreabundancia de estas criaturas dóciles, pero voraces, afecta el diseño y el mantenimiento de los paisajes, especialmente en las comunidades urbanas y suburbanas.

 Hábitatb y comportamiento

Los venados son herbívoros, principalmente exploradores, que se alimentan de plantas leñosas y herbáceas. Consumen un promedio de 5-15 libras/día de hojas, brotes, ramas, líquenes y frutas. Cuando una fuente de alimento preferida, como bellotas, maíz o heno, es abundante, la devorarán con entusiasmo, pero cuando la vegetación favorecida no está disponible, los venados comerán casi cualquier cosa para sobrevivir (Figura 1). En primavera, los venados buscan crecimiento nuevo, joven y tierno que emerge del suelo, ya que prefieren una vegetación suave con un alto contenido de agua, particularmente capullos florales jóvenes y delicados. Las plantas bien fertilizadas y regadas en exceso a menudo son especialmente exuberantes y atractivas.

Los venados dañan y desfiguran las plantas no solo comiendo hojas y tallos, sino también frotando sus cuernos contra la corteza de los árboles. Cuando localizan plantas que realmente favorecen, o cuando las opciones de alimentos son limitadas, los venados pueden despojar a las plantas de hojas o corteza. La gravedad del daño depende de la temporada, la disponibilidad de alimentos, la fuente de alimentos y las condiciones climáticas. El daño es más común en plantas que son de baja ramificación, fáciles de alcanzar, accesibles y pequeñas o jóvenes. Este comportamiento es parcialmente dañino para los árboles jóvenes con corteza delgada.

Los venados se aventurarán continuamente a paisajes urbanos y suburbanos para alimentarse, especialmente en los meses de invierno, cuando la comida es escasa. Los venados pueden ser criaturas de hábito; suelen frecuentar zonas donde se sienten seguros y el olor de otros venados es evidente.

 Amenazas humanas y ecológicas  de las altas poblaciones de venados

Con la caza prohibida en muchos municipios de CT, la alta población de venados se ha convertido en un problema extenso. La población excedente de venados en lugares suburbanos y urbanos puede presentar un desafío para el mantenimiento del paisaje y tiene el potencial de afectar la salud y la seguridad de los estudiantes, los maestros y el personal.

Los venados son el huésped principal de la garrapata adulta de patas negras o venados (Ixodes scapularis) que transmite enfermedades, incluyendo Lyme, Babesiosis y Anaplasmosis. Las opciones de erradicación de garrapatas en las guarderías y las propiedades escolares K-8 se han reducido severamente, debido a la prohibición de Connecticut de los pesticidas registrados por la Agencia de Protección Ambiental (EPA). Desalentar las poblaciones de venados en las propiedades escolares es la primera línea de defensa para reducir las poblaciones generales de garrapatas.

Para más información: ipm.cahnr.uconn.edu o contacte a: Victoria Wallace,  victoria.wallace@uconn.edu, (860) 885-2826.

Amenazas humanas y ecológicas de las altas poblaciones de venados

Los bosques con altas poblaciones de venados han reducido la revegetación natural de las especies de madera dura deseadas. Muchos arbustos silvestres y en flor, incluidas las especies amenazadas o en peligro de extinción, como los trilliums y las orquídeas, son favorecidos como fuente de alimento por los venados. Muchas plantas resistentes a la a la búsqueda por venados, como las especies invasivas Asiatic bittersweet and Japanese barberry, tienen un menor valor económico, estético y de vida silvestre que las especies que desplazan. Muchas especies de aves y pequeñas poblaciones de mamíferos se ven afectadas negativamente por el cambio en los ecosistemas forestales causado por la excesiva navegación de venados.

OPCIONES DE MANEJO DE VENADOS

La forma más importante de disuadir a los venados de alimentarse y desfigurar las plantas en el paisaje es incorporar especies que los venados prefieren no comer.  Sin embargo, ninguna planta es completamente a prueba de venados. Venados deben ser redirigidos para que eviten ubicaciones donde su exploración es no sea aceptable. Necesitan estar convencidos de que el área no es segura y la fuente de alimento a la que son atraídos es desagradable.

Las estrategias para reducir el daño de la exploración y proteger el material vegetal en las propiedades de la escuela incluyen:

• Incorporar plantas resistentes a los venados en el paisaje (Figura 2). Consulte las páginas 4-6 para obtener una lista de las plantas recomendadas.
• Divida el paisaje escolar en zonas de preferencia de alimentación de venados, priorizadas por el atractivo para los venados y el potencial dañino. Plante las plantas más resistentes a los daños a largo del borde más alejado de la propiedad donde los venados frecuentan. Las plantas que son más susceptibles a los daños deben usarse con poca frecuencia e intercalarse con plantas resistentes a los venados o cultivarse dentro de un área protegida con una cerca, como un patio escolar.
• Proteja los árboles jóvenes y a aquellos con corteza delgada colocando dispositivos protectores que desalienten la alimentación y el roce de los venados. Use protectores de árboles, envolturas de plástico para árboles, tejido de yute, redes o líneas de pesca para restringir el acceso a plantas jóvenes o especímenes. Los cilindros de malla de alambre que rodean el tronco son fáciles de crear e instalar. La línea de pesca ensartada alrededor de las plantas de especímenes es un método simple y económico para confundir y repeler a los venados. Independientemente del producto utilizado, el diseño no representa un peligro para los niños que pueden viajar cerca del área ajardinada.
• Use cercas para restringir el acceso de los venados cuando sea posible. Cercas deben tener al menos7-8′ de altura, con huecos no más de 6″ x 6 y debe extenderse hasta el suelo (Figura 3). Si bien la cerca es el mejor elemento disuasorio para perforar el material vegetal de los venados, puede ser poco práctico en los entornos de propiedades escolares.

 

• Modifique la fertilización de las plantas del paisaje si los venados viajan constantemente a un lugar específico. Los venados prefieren las plantas exuberantes y bien fertilizadas, pero pueden evitar las mismas plantas si son menos apetitosas.

 

Para más información: ipm.cahnr.uconn.edu o contacte a: Victoria Wallace, victoria.wallace@uconn.edu, (860) 885-2826

OPCIONES DE MANEJO DE VENADOS

• Use luces activadas por movimiento, rociadores o generadores de ruido, cuando sea apropiado, para asustar a los venados y hacer que huyan. El éxito con este tipo de elementos disuasorios es a menudo de corta duración. Los venados se acostumbran y reconocen los dispositivos si no se mueven o alteran en un patrón que mantiene a los venados constantemente cautelosos.
• La limpieza anual de los perímetros de las propiedades escolares y los bordes de la línea de bosques ayuda a reducir las poblaciones de garrapatas. Una buena desinfección a lo largo de los límites de la propiedad es esencial para limitar la oportunidad de que las garrapatas se encuentren con venados huéspedes que pueden viajar cerca de áreas donde los estudiantes frecuentan.
• Incorporar el uso de repelentes de riesgo mínimo aprobados por la EPA por el Departamento de Energía y Protección Ambiental (DEEP) de CT. Los repelentes son productos que disuaden la alimentación o desalientan la navegación de los venados debido a un sabor u olor desagradable. Deben aplicarse repetidamente, especialmente después de eventos de lluvia, para proteger el nuevo crecimiento a medida que emerge. La cobertura de la planta debe comenzar a nivel del suelo y extenderse hacia arriba al menos seis pies. Algunos repelentes deben rociarse en cintas como parte de kits de cercas más que directamente en las superficies de las plantas. Debido al persistente sabor u olor desagradable, muchos de estos repelentes pueden no ser adecuados para camas de paisaje adyacentes a los edificios escolares. Consulte  la lista más reciente de DEEP de productos de riesgo mínimo (ct.gov/DEEP/pesticides)  aprobados por la EPA como un recurso de productos disponibles. Todos los productos utilizados para desalentar la alimentación deben ser referenciados en el plan de Manejo Integrado de Plagas (MIP) del distrito, si se colocan en un paisaje escolar.  Las recetas caseras no están registradas y por ley no están permitidas para ser aplicadas en propiedades escolares.

Para obtener más información, consulte CT.Gov, NC State Extension Powerpoint y CAES.

Para más información: ipm.cahnr.uconn.edu o contacte a: Victoria Wallace, victoria.wallace@uconn.edu, (860) 885-2826

 ÁRBOLES RESISTENTES A VENADOS

En la siguiente lista, las plantas “raramente dañadas” son las menos propensas a atraer venados y se recomiendan si el daño a las plantas por venados es de gran preocupación.  Para obtener más información, consulte UConn’s Native Plant and Sustainable Landscaping Guide, disponible en s.uconn.edu/UConnNativePlantGuide.

ESPECIE DE ÁRBOL	Toler. Ciervo	Altura	Ancho	Color de la flor	Tiempo de floración	Luz	¿Nativo?	Atributos/Mantenimiento
Arborvitae ‘Gigante Verde’ (Thuja plicata x standishii)	S	40-60′	15-20′	—–	—–	FS	No	Perennifolio. Cultivar popular y de rápido crecimiento. Prefiere suelos húmedos, profundos y francos. Atractiva forma piramidal que requiere poca o ninguna poda. En condiciones óptimas, puede crecer 3-4 pies por año. Uso para seto, pantalla, cortavientos.
Abedul, dulce (Betula lenta)	S	40-70′	35-50′	marrón, verde	Abril- Mayo	FS/PS	Sí	Mejor en suelos profundos, ricos, húmedos y ácidos, a pleno sol; tolera la sombra parcial. Sensible a la compactación del suelo. Buen color de otoño (amarillo). También: el abedul de río (Betula nigra) es adaptable, tolerante al calor y al mal drenaje; el abedul gris (Betula populifo- lia) tiene corteza ornamental y es de rápido crecimiento, pero de corta duración.
Rojo oriental- cedro (Juniperus virginiana)	S	30-65′	10-20′	—–	—–	FS	Sí	Perennifolio. Se adapta a suelos pobres y secos; pH adaptable. Muy duro; cribado, naturalización, plantación costera. La mejor resistencia a la sequía de cualquier conífera nativa de los EE. UU.
Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba)	R	50-80′	30-40′	verde	Abril	FS	No	Tolerante a una amplia gama de condiciones del suelo. Dioico: la fruta de las hembras tiene un olor desagradable. Excelente color de otoño.
Acacia de tres espinas (Gleditsia tria- canthos f. in- ermis)	R	30-70′	20-30′	verde- amarillo, blanco	Mayo- Junio	FS	No	Buen árbol para calles y estacionamientos. Tolerante a la sequía, la contaminación del aire, el suelo arcilloso. F. inermis es una variedad sin espinas y casi libre de vainas. Nativo del sureste de los Ee. UU. Beneficioso para las abejas, mariposas y aves.
Arce rojo, azúcar (Acer rubrum)	S	40-80′	30-50′	rojo	Marzo- Abril	FS/PS	Sí	Adaptable; tolerante a muchas condiciones. Crecimiento relativamente rápido. Rojo-naranja vistoso color otoño. Corteza ornamental. Raíces poco profundas. Beneficioso para las abejas, mariposas y aves.
Arce azucarero (Acer saccharum)	S	40-80′	30-60′	verde	Abril	FS/PS	Sí	Se cultiva fácilmente, mediano, suelo bien drenado a pleno sol a sombra parcial. Prefiere suelos fértiles, ligeramente ácidos. Tolerante a la sombra. Excelente ejemplar de árbol para césped o parques. Se ha utilizado con frecuencia como árbol de calle, pero generalmente es intolerante a la sal de la carretera, la compactación del suelo y la contaminación.

ÁRBOLES RESISTENTES A VENADOS

ESPECIE DE ÁRBOL	Toler. Ciervo	Altura	Ancho	Color de la flor	Tiempo de floración	Luz	¿Nativo?	Atributos/Mantenimiento
Robles (Quercus spp.)	S	50- 100′	20-30′	amarillo-verde	Abril – Mayo	FS/PS	Sí	Muchos robles hacen buenos árboles de césped o de calle (R. bicolor, R. rubra, R. velutina). Todos los robles tienen un valor excepcional para la vida silvestre. Los robles tienen una raíz principal, lo que los hace difíciles de trasplantar.
Pino, blanco oriental (Pinus strobus)	R	50-80′	20-40′	—–	—–	FS	Sí	Prefiere suelos fértiles y climas frescos y húmedos. Algo de susceptibilidad a la roya de la ampolla del pino blanco y al gorgojo del pino blanco. Riegue las raíces profundamente, particularmente en períodos secos, pero evite humedecer el follaje. Plantar en lugares protegidos; aplicar un mantillo de invierno.
Guillomo de Canada Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea)	S	15-25′	15-25′	Blanco	Marzo- Abril	FS/PS	Sí	Los retoños de la raíz se pueden eliminar para producir una forma más parecida a un árbol, o se volverán arbustos. Atractivo color de otoño, flor fragante; las bayas rojas comestibles atraen a las aves. Tolerante a la sal.
Árbol de las tulipas (Liriodendron tulipifera)	R	70-90′	30-40′	amarillo-naranja	Mayo- Junio	FS	Sí	Gran sombra, árbol de césped. No se recomienda como árbol de calle. Rápido crecimiento; susceptible a la rotura de extremidades en tormentas. Buen color de otoño. Beneficioso para las abejas, mariposas y aves.

Para más información: ipm.cahnr.uconn.edu o contacte a: Victoria Wallace, victoria.wallace@uconn.edu, (860) 885-2826

ARBUSTOS RESISTENTES A VENADOS

Las hierbas ornamentales y los helechos también son casi todos altamente resistentes al daño de los venados.

Además de las especies mencionadas en este documento, los venados tienden a evitar las plantas con olores fuertes y sabores acres y amargos, como las hierbas; que tienen espinas o espinas en hojas o tallos; con follaje peludo o borroso;

ESPECIES DE ARBUSTOS	Toler. Ciervo	Altura	Ancho	Color de la flor	Tiempo de floración	Luz	¿Nativo?	Atributos/Mantenimiento
Bayberry (Morella) pensylvanica)	R	5-10′	5-10′	amarillo-verde	Mayo	FS/PS	Sí	Tolera la sequía, la erosión, los suelos húmedos. Tolerante a la sal. Las raíces forman retoños para colonizar un área. Mejor en grupos o en masa. Follaje fragante; fruta vistosa – atrae a las aves, proporciona interés invernal. Separar las plantas masculinas y femeninas: se necesita al menos una planta masculina para la producción de frutas en las hembras.
Boxe común/Boxw-ood (Buxus sempervirens)	R	15-20′	10-15′	insignif – icant	Primavera	FS/PS	No	Tolerante a la sequía. Protéjase de los vientos secos, especialmente en invierno. Perennifolio. La podredumbre de la raíz puede ser un problema en suelos con mal drenaje. Se utiliza para la plantación de cimientos o seto bajo.
Ciprés, Siberiano (Microbiota decussata)	S	.5-1.5′	3-12′	—–	—–	FS/PS	No	Las coníferas enanas y de hoja perenne forman una excelente cobertura del suelo. El mejor rendimiento es en climas frescos de verano. Más sombra toler- hormiga que cobertura del suelo Enebros.
Cornejo sedoso/Dogwood(Cornus amomum)	S	6-12′	6-12′	amarillo-blanco	Mayo- Junio	FS/PS	Sí	Copiosas frutas azules, color rojo otoño. Adaptable a una variedad de situaciones culturales. Se puede utilizar como seto o en jardín de lluvia. Excelente fuente de alimento para abejas, mariposas y aves.
Leucothoe, drooping (Leucothoe fontanesiana)	R	3-7′	3-7′	blanco cremoso	Mayo- Junio	P. D	No	Prefiere suelos húmedos, fértiles y ácidos. No tolerante a la sequía. Perennifolio. Flores fragantes y duraderas. Necesita poca o ninguna poda; rejuvenecer si es necesario cortando de nuevo al suelo después de la floración. Nativo del sureste de E.U.
Laurel de montaña/Mount-ain-laurel (Kalmia latifolia)	R	5-15′	5-15′	blanco, rosa, rojo	finales de mayo – junio	FS/PS	Sí	Perennifolio. Planta de solución para ubicaciones de sombra secas y ácidas. Requiere un suelo fresco, húmedo, ácido y orgánico para un mejor desarrollo. Evite los sitios azotados por el viento. Flor de estado CT.
Pieris, japonés (Pieris japonica)	R	4-8′	3-6′	Blanco	finales de marzo- abril	FS/PS	No	Prefiere suelos fértiles y ácidos y mantillo. Perennifolio. Protéjase de los vientos invernales. Esté atento a las infestaciones de chinches. Poda inmediatamente después de la floración a fines de la primavera.
Pimienta silvestre/ Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)	R	6-12′	6-12′	amarillo	Marzo	FS/PS	Sí	Utilizado como seto, en jardines de lluvia, bordes de bosques. Buen color de otoño (mejor a pleno sol). Mariposa larvaria planta huésped. Fragante. Atrae y apoya mariposas, abejas y aves.

 

Zumaque, fragante (Rhus aromatica ‘Gro-Low’)	R	1.5-2′	5-8′	amarillo	Primavera	FS/PS	Sí	Tolerante a la sal. Si se lesiona en invierno o muere, reduzca la parte afectada a 6″; volverá a crecer. Vistosa fruta roja en otoño; esparcidor rápido. Atrae y apoya a aves y abejas.
Fetterbush/Sweetbells (Eubotrys racemosa)	R	4-6′	4-6′	blanco, rosa	Mayo- Junio	FS/PS	Sí	Prospera en lugares húmedos; también funciona bien en suelos mucho más secos. Flores en forma de campana. Los retoños forman colonias. Color rojo brillante del otoño. Atrae y apoya mariposas y abejas.
Helecho dulce (Comptonia peregrina)	R	2-5′	4-8′	amarillo	Abril- Mayo	FS/PS	Sí	Funciona bien en suelos secos e infértiles. Difícil de trasplantar; mejor cuando el contenedor crece. Bueno para naturalizar y terraplenes. Follaje fragante.
Sweetgale (myrica gale)	R	3-4′	3-5′	amarillo	Marzo- Mayo	FS/PS	Sí	Prefiere suelos húmedos o húmedos, puede crecer en suelos muy ácidos. La planta fija el nitrógeno. Separar las plantas masculinas y femeninas; ambos necesitaban producir semilla. Fruta aromática y follaje.

PERENNES RESISTENTES A VENADOS

ESPECIES PERENNES	Tol. Ciervo	Altura	Ancho	Color de la flor	Tiempo de floración	Luz	¿Nativo?	Atributos/Mantenimiento
Hisopo de anís (Agastache foeniculum)	R	2-4′	2-3′	lavanda – púrpura	Junio- Septiembre.	FS	Sí	Prefiere suelos secos a medianos. Buena flor cortada. Puede volver a sembrar. Un buen drenaje del suelo es esencial. Atrae colibríes; el néctar apoya a las abejas y mariposas nativas.
New Eng. Aster. (Symphy- otrichum novae-angliae)	S	3-6′	3-5′	púrpura, azul	Agosto- Septiembre.	FS	Sí	Syn. Aster novae-angliae. Adaptable a una amplia gama de humedad del suelo. Vistosas, buenas flores cortadas. Fuente de néctar para abejas y mariposas monarca. Planta huésped larval para la media luna perla y las mariposas damero.
Corazón sangrante (Dicentra spectabilis)	R	2-3′	1.5- 2.5′	blanco, rosa	Abril- Mayo	PS/SH	No	Prefiere suelos húmedos y moderadamente fértiles. Intolerante a los suelos húmedos en invierno, suelos secos en verano. Un buen drenaje del suelo es esencial. El follaje generalmente permanece inactivo a mediados del verano; planta entre las plantas perennes de cobertura vegetal / desarrollo posterior (por ejemplo, helechos).
Corazón sangrante, con flecos (Dicentra eximia)	R	1-1.5′	1-1.5′	rosa rosa a rojo púrpura	Abril- Julio	P.D	Sí	Prefiere suelos húmedos y moderadamente fértiles. Intolerante a los suelos húmedos en invierno y a los suelos secos en verano. Naturaliza por auto-siembra en ambientes favorables. Un buen drenaje del suelo es esencial.
Equinácea púrpura pálida (Echinacea pallida)	R	2-3′	1-2′	púrpura pálido	Junio- Julio	FS/PS	Sí	Adaptable a una amplia gama de humedad del suelo. Raíz de toque largo; tolerante a la sequía. Se mezcla bien con las gramíneas. Vistosas, fragantes, buenas flores cortadas. Auto-semillas libremente. Atrae y apoya a los polinizadores beneficiosos (mariposas, abejas).
Ásaro Europeo (Asarum europaeum)	R	6″	1-1.5′	verde- amarillo, marrón	Abril- Mayo	PS/SH	No	Prefiere suelos moderadamente fértiles, consistentemente húmedos y ácidos. Puede auto-sembrar. Hojas brillantes, coriáceas y en forma de corazón utilizadas para la cobertura del suelo en sombra pesada.
Jengibre silvestre (Asarum canadense)	R	6″-1′	1-1.5′	púrpura- marrón	Abril- Mayo	PS/SH	Sí	Prefiere suelos moderadamente fértiles, consistentemente húmedos y ácidos. Se propaga lentamente por rizomas. Cubierta vegetal atractiva para sombra pesada.

Para más información: ipm.cahnr.uconn.edu o contacte a: Victoria Wallace, victoria.wallace@uconn.edu, (860) 885-2826 

PERENNES RESISTENTES A VENADOS   

ESPECIES PERENNES	Tol. Ciervo	Altura	Ancho	Color de la flor	Tiempo de floración	Luz	¿Nativo?	Atributos/Mantenimiento
Índigo falso (Baptisia australis)	R	3-4′	3-4′	azul índigo	Mayo- Junio	FS/PS	Sí	Las raíces no deben ser perturbadas una vez que las plantas se establecen. Las plantas más altas pueden necesitar apoyo, particularmente cuando se cultivan en lugares parcialmente sombreados. Mejor floración a pleno sol. Atrae mariposas. Atractivas cabezas de semillas en verano/otoño.
Algodoncillo, mariposa (Asclepias tuberosa)	R	1-2.5′	1-2′	naranja	Junio- Agosto	FS	Sí	Prefiere suelos secos a medianos. Fuente de alimento esencial para las orugas de mariposa Mon-arch. Buena flor cortada. Puede volver a sembrar. Un buen drenaje del suelo es esencial.
Salvia Rusa/ Sage,Russian (Perovskia atriplicifolia)	R	3-4′	3-4′	azul violáceo, lavanda	Julio- Septiembre	FS	No	Tolerante a la sequía. Follaje azul-gris, fragante. Proporcione espacio para la propagación. ‘Little Spire’ es un cultivar compacto.
Spurge, Allegheny (Pachysandra procumbens)	S	.5-1′	1-2′	Blanco	Marzo- Abril	PS/SH	Sí	Tolerante a la sequía. Flores fragantes. Prefiere suelos ácidos y fértiles. Para la cobertura del suelo, separe las plantas de 6 a 12 “. Se propaga lentamente para formar colonias. Evite el riego por encima de la cabeza; Las plantas delgadas periódicamente para la circulación del aire para prevenir enfermedades.
Baya blanca (Actaea pachypoda)	R	1.5-2.5′	2-3′	Blanco	Mayo- Junio	PS/SH	Sí	Prefiere suelos húmedos y ricos en humus en bosques y guarniciones de sombra. Bayas blancas atractivas, pero venenosas. Intolerante a los suelos secos. Naturaliza por auto-siembra.
Serpentaria blanca (Ageratina altissima)	R	3-5′	1-3′	Blanco	Sept.- heladas	PS/SH	Sí	Prolífica auto-sembradora; cabeza muerta si no es deseada. Prefiere la sombra parcial en suelos húmedos y ricos; tolera suelos moderadamente secos. Atrae y apoya a los polinizadores beneficiosos (mariposas, abejas).
Geranio silvestre (Geranium maculatum)	R	1-3′	1-3′	rosa- lavanda	Marzo- Julio	PS/SH	Sí	Deadheading prolonga la floración. Nativo de bosques secos o húmedos; bordes de bosques; prados moteados. Prospera bajo una variedad de condiciones: rica, ácida. Las semillas atraen a las palomas, la codorniz bobwhite.
Perejil bravío (Achillea millefolium)	R	1.5-2.5′	1-2′	Blanco	Junio- Septiembre	FS	Sí	Tolerante a la sequía y a la sal. Las flores fragantes atraen a las mariposas. ‘Sunny Seduction’ es un popular cultivar amarillo.

Para más información: ipm.cahnr.uconn.edu o contacte a: Victoria Wallace, victoria.wallace@uconn.edu, (860) 885-2826

PLANTAS MUY SUSCEPTIBLES A DAÑO POR VENADOS

 Estas especies son muy favorecidas por los venados y es probable que sufran daños significativos por venados:

 

Daño de venados a hosta (Hosta sp.)  (izquierda), arbusto ardiente (Euonymus alatus) (centro) y arborvitae americano (Thuja occidentalis) (derecha).

FUENTES:

Clausen, R. 2011. 50 Beautiful Deer-Resistant Plants: The Prettiest Annuals, Perennials, Bulbs, and Shrubs that Deer Don’t Eat. Tim- ber Press.

Connecticut DEEP. White-tailed Deer Fact Sheet. https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Wildlife/Fact-Sheets/White-tailed-Deer

Glen, C. 2015. Deer Resistant Plants Recommended for Central & SE NC Landscapes. North Carolina Cooperative Extension. chat-

 ham.ces.ncsu.edu

Glen, C. 2018. Minimizing Deer Damage. Powerpoint. North Carolina Cooperative Extension. gardening.ces.ncsu.edu

Kilpatrick. H., A. Labonte, K. Stafford. 2014. The Relationship Between Deer Density, Tick Abundance, and Human Cases of Lyme Disease in a Residential Community. Journal of Medical Entomology. Volume 51, Issue 4. 1 July 2014. Pages 777–

784. doi.org/10.1603/ME13232

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. 2018. Community Deer Management Guide. www.dec.ny.gov

Perdomo, Pedro; Nitsche, Peter; Drake, David. Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance. Rutgers Cooperative Research and Ex- tension. New Jersey. njaes.rutgers.edu/deerresistance

Stafford, K., and S. Williams. 2014. Deer, Ticks, and Lyme Disease: Deer Management as a Strategy for the Reduction of Lyme Dis- ease. Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. New Haven. beaconfalls-ct.org

Wallace, V. and A. Siegel-Miles. 2020. Connecticut Native Plant and Sustainable Landscaping Guide. UConn Extension. 44 pp.

 ipm.uconn.edu.

Ward, Jeffrey S. 2000. Limiting Deer Browse Damage to Landscape Plants. Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. New Haven. wiltonct.org

Williams, S.C., J.S. Ward, and U. Ramakrishnan. 2006. Deer Damage Management Options.

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 1005 15p. portal.ct.gov

Fotos de Alyssa Siegel-Miles y Victoria Wallace.

UConn Extension se compromete a proporcionar igualdad de acceso y plena participación para las personas con discapacidades dentro de todos nuestros programas y actividades. Visite s.uconn.edu/accesibilidad para obtener más recursos. UConn es un proveedor y empleador de programas con igualdad de oportunidades.

Los fondos para apoyar la creación de este documento fueron proporcionados por el Programa de Implementación de Extensión de Protección de Cultivos y Manejo de Plagas [subvención no. 2017-70006-27201 / adhesión al proyecto no. 013777] del Instituto Nacional de Alimentos y Agricultura del USDA.

©Extensión UConn. Todos los derechos reservados. Actualizado en marzo de 2022.

 

Invasive plants pop up in CT for spring. Here’s what to look for in your garden.

By Jayden Nguyen, Staff Writer

April 29, 2025

Guide to invasive plants in Connecticut

As spring flowers begin to emerge for the season, less desirable invasive plants are also starting to grow throughout Connecticut.

An invasive plant is a species of plant that is not native to the area and can cause environmental harm in “habitats that are not intensely managed,” according to Victoria Wallace, a sustainability, turf and landscape extension educator at UConn.

“In minimally-managed areas, invasive plants crowd out native plants,” Wallace said. “The presence of invasive plants alters the way plants, animals, soil and water interact within native ecosystems, often causing harm to other species.”

In Connecticut, there are some invasive plant species that are more common:

Herbaceous plants:

• garlic mustard
• Japanese knotweed
• common reed
• purple loosestrife
• spotted knapweed

Woody plants (trees, shrubs and vines):

• Japanese honeysuckle
• tree-of-heaven (which attracts spotted lanternflies)
• black locust
• autumn olive
• multiflora rose
• Morrow’s honeysuckle
• Japanese barberry

Wallace said that invasive plants typically have a high reproductive rate, the ability to disperse at wide distances and grow rapidly “under a wide variety of conditions.”

“Some invasive plants spread by seed, some by asexual reproduction,” Wallace said. “Invasive plants are often accidentally introduced to new locations through improperly treated mulch or compost, or seeds stuck on mowing (equipment) or other equipment.”

Wallace said that invasive plants’ seeds can also be dispersed via wind, water, vehicles, boats and birds or other wildlife.

Garlic mustard is one of the annual invasive plants that frequently comes up in the spring in Connecticut, Wallace said. The Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group, or CIPWG, provides a calendar for invasive plant management, so that gardeners can identify when certain types of invasive plant species are more likely to grow and the best methods for removing them.

Wallace said that once gardeners identify the invasive plant species growing in their gardens, there are several ways that they can be removed.

Removing and controlling invasive plants from a garden

“Invasive removal can be done via a combination of mechanical and chemical controls,” Wallace said. “The best control methods depend on the species, time of year and the site.”

If dealt with early enough, Wallace and UConn’s CIPWG said that most invasive plant species should be able to be removed with non-chemical methods. Herbicides, or weed killers, may be necessary to remove infestations of invasive plants that have become well established or widespread.

Wallace said that flame weeding can help remove invasive plants, although she does not recommend using flame weeding in windy or dry weather conditions. Biocontrol, or biological control, is another method that Wallace recommended. Biocontrol involves using certain insects or pathogens, such as fungi and viruses, to control unwanted insects, weeds or diseases, according to UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources.

Gardeners can also grow plants that are native to Connecticut to help remove and replace non-native invasive plants.

“Every plant is native to some location. When a plant is grown outside of its original location, it is usually classified as a non-native plant,” Wallace said. “Some people really try to focus on plants native to Connecticut, however, it’s perfectly okay to mix native and non-native plants in the landscape, as long as the non-natives are not invasive.”

There are several types of plants that are native to Connecticut that gardeners can grow to remove invasive plants, including perennial plants — which grow and bloom each spring and summer — and woody plants, Wallace said.

“Some great options for perennials include goldenrods, asters, Joe Pye Weed, bee balm, mountain mint – these all are easy to grow and great for pollinators,” Wallace said. “Some woody natives that are easy to grow and beneficial for pollinators include maples and oaks, summersweet, blueberry, northern bush honeysuckle and spicebush.”

Wallace and CIPWG said that controlling invasive plant species is important to prevent “biological pollution” and “reduce negative impacts” on natural ecosystems in Connecticut and throughout the U.S. Wallace said that she suggests for Connecticut gardeners to “increase the number of native species” of plants in their gardens to help decrease the spread of invasive plants.

“Choose plants native to Connecticut to allow native pollinators greater access to and more diversity in their source of food throughout the growing season,” Wallace said. “A healthy and landscape provides both protection and a diversity of food sources for our beneficial insects.”

Guide to invasive plants in Connecticut

Here are some of the invasive plants you may find in your garden this season.

Herbaceous Plants

• Garlic mustard

• Common reed

• Purple loosestrife

• Spotted knapweed

• Japanese knotweed

 

Woody Plants (trees, shrubs, vines)

• Japanese honeysuckle

• Morrow’s honeysuckle

• Multiflora rose

• Japanese barberry

• Autumn olive

• Tree-of-heaven

• Black locust

• Norway maple

• Black swallow-wort
• Winged euonymus (burning bush)

Read more at CT Post

An article by Kathy Connolly was published in The Day entitled: Your Turn: Invasive-plant symposium gets in the weeds, literally.

“Warm weather and above-average rainfall made our 2024 gardens grow but also encouraged invasive plants. Invasives are not just any weeds. They are non-native plants that take advantage of landscape disturbances such as excavation, movement of soil, overpopulation of deer, or the spread of invasive worms. Though the initial disturbances may seem inconsequential, these plants gain a toehold and then quickly change landscapes for the worse. Familiar examples include Japanese knotweed, stiltgrass, and bittersweet.”

Read more at: https://www.theday.com/columns/20241008/your-turn-invasive-plant-symposium-gets-in-the-weeds-literally/

You can also access a pdf of this article at: Your Turn_ Invasive-plant symposium gets in the weeds literally

Over the past year, a CIPWG subcommittee reviewed the CIPWG research list (plants that were being studied to determine invasive potential) and made recommendations to the Invasive Plants Council (IPC) regarding plants that should be moved to the invasive plant list. The IPC is the state-mandated body that recommends changes or updates in invasive species legislation to the CT legislature through the Environment Committee (EC).

In the IPC annual report, the IPC made recommendations to the EC. The EC followed the suggestions of the IPC and submitted a bill (HB 5225) to the legislature. It passed through the house and senate and the governor signed the bill into law this Tuesday (5/14).

The bill includes:

• Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) will be added to the CT invasive plant list with a 3-year phase out period; it will be prohibited from sale as of October 2027.
• Quackgrass (Elymus repens) and Japanese angelica tree (Aralia elata) will be added to the invasive plant list and prohibited from sale as of October 2024.
• Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) and Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) will be added to the potentially invasive plant list and prohibited from sale as of October 2024.
• Porcelainberry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata) and Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), which are already on the invasive plant list, will be added to the prohibited from sale list as of October 2024.

You can read the text of the bill, view testimony, votes of CT legislators, and more at cga.ct.gov.

We, the CIPWG co-chairs, are thrilled to see CIPWG, the IPC, and the Environment Committee work together in such an effective way to make progress on regulation of invasive plant species in CT.

We are grateful for the efforts of CIPWG members, the IPC, and the Environment Committee for the continued effort to take meaningful steps to regulate invasive plant species in our state.

We are in the process of updating the Invasive Species list with the changing regulations and will keep posted on those updates as they are completed.

Vickie Wallace, Rose Hiskes, and Emmett Varricchio, CIPWG Co-chairs
info@cipwg.org

Thank you for reporting your 2023 Invasive Plant Activity!

The CIPWG 2023 Annual Report is a compilation of reported invasive plant management and education activity for the 2023 year.

Read the 2023 CIPWG report HERE

Read here: Pollinators in Gardens & Meadows, by CIPWG

 

Read here: Deer Resistant Native Perennials, by CIPWG

 

More CIPWG Native Alternative Publications available at cipwg.uconn.edu/publications.

UConn Native Plants & Pollinators Conference

November 2, 2023

Student Union Ballroom (Room 330), 2100 Hillside Road, Storrs, CT

Information and Agenda

Register Here

View Rose Hiskes presentation to CACIWC on Porcelainberry here.

CIPWG Fall General Meeting, October 24, 2019, 1:00 – 3:00 pm

– free and open to all interested individuals

– Tolland County Agricultural Center, 24 Hyde Ave., Vernon, CT

Come hear updates on invasive plants and native alternatives in Connecticut.

Special Guest Speaker, Annise Dobson,   Asian Jumping Worms 101: 

Identification, Impacts on Plants and Ecosystems, and Steps Toward Solutions

Full Agenda    Driving Directions