Click on the image to download this booklet to help identify and control many different invasive species. Published by the Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District.
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Invasive Plants Go in the Bin! (All except one) The invasive plant bin at the Newtown transfer station is available to all Newtown residents free of charge. Drop off invasive plants with seeds or berries to prevent them from reproducing on your property. Look for it to the left of the brush pile! If you have already removed berries/seeds from invasive plants you have removed from your property, you can put them in the regular brush pile. Important reminder: Cutting Japanese Knotweed is not an effective control method and knotweed stalks should NEVER be placed in the brush pile. Thank you for your cooperation -- we very much appreciate it! |
Late summer and early fall are the times of year when the berries of many invasive plants ripen, like Asiatic bittersweet (bright yellow and orange berries), winged burning bush (reddish-purple berries), mile-a-minute vine (a striking metallic blue), porcelain berry (a range of white, yellow, lilac, or green berries that turn bright turquoise when fully ripe) and autumn olive (speckled red fruit).
Ideally, you'll be seeking out and removing these plants BEFORE they produce berries, but if not, you can still interrupt the cycle and reduce next year's population of seedlings by cutting back, digging out or cut stem-treating invasives like these. Cut-stem treatment refers to the application of a very small amount of an herbicide like glyphosate with a small craft paintbrush to the cut stem of a vine. This is a viable alternative for plants that are too large to dig out with a shovel.
While most would agree that Japanese knotweed is one of the most aggressive and damaging invasive plant species, there are many other introduced plants that exhibit similar undesirable characteristics by:
- Out-competing native plants for resources
- Reducing native plant diversity
- Degrading natural habitat
- Contributing little or no food and shelter for native wildlife and pollinators
Have you come across a plant in your yard you're unsure about? Browse the photo gallery here to help identify it. Once you've done so, you may choose to eliminate it from your property to prevent encroachment in your garden or to make room for more desirable species that support native wildlife.
