Invasives
Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii)
Japanese black pine is a tree native to Japan and China. In the US, it was used ornamentally and can crowd out native species when it escapes garden environments. The trunks of Japanese black pine are often uniquely twisted, making them a popular choice for landscaping and arboretums. They can…
Japanese Stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum)
Japanese stiltgrass, native to East Asia, is an annual grass that can grow 5-6 feet in length, but the arching stems make it appear shorter. The name “stiltgrass” comes from the weak, prop-like roots which pull easily out of the ground. The 3” lance-shaped leaves are limy-green and taper at…
Kudzu (Pueraria montana ssp. lobata)
Kudzu, known as “the plant that ate the south” is a perennial, semi-woody vine that can reach 100 feet in length. The alternate, compound leaves consist of three broad leaflets, which are hairy on the undersides and 4-6 inches in length. The clusters of purple flowers, which have a grape-like…
Mile-a-minute Vine (Persicaria perfoliata)
*If found report here to Mass. Dept. of Agricultural Resources (MDAR). Mile-a-minute is an annual scrambling vine native to Asia that can grow to 25 feet in length. Small, curved barbs cover the stem, petioles, and leaf undersides. These sharply pointed barbs can rip clothing and skin. The plant’s bluish-green…
Narrow-leaf Bittercress (Cardamine impatiens)
Narrow-leaf bittercress is an herbaceous annual or biennial plant that can reach two feet in height. When narrow-leaf bittercress occurs as a biennial, the first year’s growth is a basal rosette of leaves. In the second year, it produces a flowering stem. The basal leaves of the plant are deeply…
Porcelain berry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata)
Porcelain berry, Ampelopsis glandulosa var. brevipedunculata, is an aggressive weed in the Vitacea (grape) family of the eastern United States. This plant is a deciduous, woody, climbing vine or erect shrub native to Northeast Asia—China, Korea and Japan. It was originally cultivated around the 1870s in the US as a…
Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius)
Scotch broom is a perennial shrub with many angular branches. It has showy yellow flowers and is part of the pea family. It is native to Europe and was introduced to North America in the 1800s where is was widely planted on Cape Cod and the islands in the 1800s…
Wall Lettuce (Mycelis muralis (L.) Dumort.)
Wall lettuce is a slender annual or biennial herbaceous plant. The smooth, erect stems grow from fibrous roots. Stems are 2–3 feet tall and branch near the top; when broken, they exude a milky fluid that can irritate the skin. Leaves at the base of the stems have deep, pointed…
Wineberry (Rubus phoenicolasius Maxim.)
Wineberry is a deciduous shrub that grows up to 6 feet tall. The arching stems (canes), petioles, flowering stems, and buds have a dense covering of reddish, gland-tipped hairs and a few slender prickles. Leaves are alternate. Each leaf is made up of three leaflets; the terminal leaflet is much…