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May 5th, 2011 by Virginia Barlow Notes from the Editor

Peace in a Time of War

HoneysuckleF.jpg
Eurasian bush honeysuckle with fruit. Photo by Elizabeth J. Czarapata. http://na.fs.fed.us/spfo/invasiveplants/understand/index.asp

Editor’s Note: This week’s blog features the musings of founding editor Ginny Barlow.

I was on a lovely walk with Chris last fall, just meandering around on a sunny day, crisp leaves, crisp air, two happy dogs. A mile or so from home I noticed a big non-native honeysuckle bush. They are blessedly rare around here, and when I saw that alien thug, I hit the ceiling and furiously addressed it in the most unflattering way. Chris was silent until I ended my rant. Then he said, “I am SO glad that I don’t know how to tell native plants from non-native plants.”

That’s when it sunk in that my war against non-natives had gotten the better of me. There were plenty of other warning signs that I had ignored. A couple weeks before I had complained, in not the friendliest way, to my really nice neighbor about the buckthorn on her land. All my walks, really, had devolved into a concentrated search for enemies among the vegetation. Plants were not to be trusted. Every outing had become a mission.

I’ve noticed that it’s not just me who gets unnecessarily riled up about invasive species. Other people who are normally perfectly civil also get testy on this subject. Even in my battle-hardened days, it bothered me when 84-year-old landowners were being unduly pressured by their forester to go after all the non-native species on each of their 200 acres. And warning labels (complete with skull and crossbones) should be pinned on a lot of people when they discuss herbicides: They’re 100 percent essential and biodegrade before you know it. They’re horribly toxic. There’s no in between.

The good news is that after my wake-up outing with Chris last fall, I very easily succeeded changing my relationship with non-native honeysuckles or buckthorns. I now remain calm and at peace in their presence. I still pull buckthorns up when I feel like it and hang them with their frizzy roots upwards in tree branches – as a lesson to other buckthorns. In the winter I carry flagging and decorate plants I plan to come back to and deal with in the summer. But I don’t hate them or blame them. It’s such an improvement. I’m no less effective at eradication and so much happier. If you are like I was, see if you can back off. Your woodland walks will be much the better for it.

by Virginia Barlow

© by the author; this article may not be copied or reproduced without the author's consent.

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Discussion *

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May 12, 2011

Carolyn: Nothing has been there since the beginning of time. On the contrary organisms have been moving into new habitats from the beginning and that is good. There is nothing wrong with a constant flux of introduced species into new habitats, in moderation. They can be absorbed gradually by the community and become part of the web of life (food chain, energy flow).
The trouble with introductions is that we, humans, have been doing this in massive amounts. The planet has not seen such a thing ever before. Ecosystems cannot take such enormous alterations of the balance that took millions of years to accomplish.
That is why I made the comparison with a musical piece in which you can introduce a fragment from another piece and weave it into it until it works properly. But, if you tried to introduce a large number of alien pieces it may be too much. It would require huge amounts of time to knit it together again and then it would be an entirely different composition.
Sometimes it is impossible to do anything about the aliens that have already been introduced and established. But we should try our best to prevent new introductions from happening.

Beatriz Moisset
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May 12, 2011

Yes, I have come to the same sort of peace with litter. That doesn’t mean that I don’t pick up truckloads of it, just that it doesn’t spoil what would otherwise be a beautiful day outdoors.

Jon Harris
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May 08, 2011

I keep wondering . . . is everything we consider “native,” a plant or an animal that has been here (whatever “here” is for any individual) since the beginning of time? Or has the population of a given region changed, by various means, at various times? If so, that raises the question of what is native as of when, and what is considered natural change.

Reminds me of the old saying that a weed is a plant the gardener doesn’t want in his garden or lawn. Many weeds are native plants with beneficial food or medicinal properties. But we rip them out by the roots and poison them with chemicals because they grow where we don’t want them.

Then, of course, there’s us—the ultimate alien invading species. Most of the plants, animals, and insects we now consider invasive arrived on our coattails. So should we ban ourselves from moving around? Should we tear ourselves up by the roots and burn us because we are a scourge?

It’s hard to keep a balanced perspective about all this.

Carolyn
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May 07, 2011

An enlightening book on the subject of non-native plants is: INVASIVE PLANT MEDICINE - The Ecological Benefits and Healing Abilities of Invasives, by Timothy Lee Scott. c.2010

Lerna
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May 07, 2011

Very funny Virginia.  When in Alaska and driving from Seward to Anchorage my son and I spotted a lone girl sitting in the weeds alongside the highway. I turned around and went back to inquire as to what she might be doing, sitting in the rain and digging something?  She said she too was digging up non-native plants and proceeded to describe it to us.  I think she would greatly appreciate your writings-just as much as I do. Thanks for all your great articles and exquisite drawings and art work.  Hiya(Andy Crosier)

Andy Crosier
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May 06, 2011

Thanks for the musings about honeysuckle Virginia.  Indeed my own attitude about honeysuckle in particular has matured after several decades of dealing with it in the Taconics in SW Vermont.  I have observed and learned two things about honeysuckle over that time-

It can be relatively easily “shaded out” under a closed canopy, which makes for viable control opportunities in forest management.

Honeysuckle can be an effective “deer fence” in areas of high deer populations.  I have seen sugar maple and ash regeneration get up through moderate to heavy honeysuckle in areas where a heavy deer population wouldn’t have allowed it otherwise.

Kevin Beattie
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May 06, 2011

Hi, I agree with your contempt of non-native species.  However, the beautiful berries of the Honeysuckle would lead me to believe that it is a good plant for our native fruit loving birds.  I get totally irate when I see the non-native House Sparrow trying to out compete the Bluebirds, Tree Swallows, and Purple Martins in my area, too. So, most people don’t ‘get it’ when it comes to invasives, myself included.  Thank you for your post, we did get rid of a buckthorn plant (15’ tall) after we did figure out that it was indeed that plant (again, berries equals food for birds right?).  How do we get the word out??  We must keep each other informed.  Thanks,  Judy in SE Wisconsin

Judy
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May 06, 2011

We also have to remember that with the encroachment of humans on our natural places, some of the invasives provide essential nourishment for our migratory and overwintering birds. If all the Asiatic bittersweet, multiflora rose, Japanese honeysuckle, Japanese barberry, and burning bush were to be eradicated, our bird friends would be sorely pressed to obtain enough to eat to fuel migration or make it through a snowy winter’s night.
Though I also eliminate many of these invasives (and others) on sight, I neither hate them nor love them. They are not responsible for being here, humans are.

Albert Burchsted
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May 06, 2011

The trouble with introduced species is not with the organisms themselves. It is with our meddling with nature, introducing organisms into other ecosystems. It is as if we would take a beautiful segment of a symphony and stick into another equally beautiful piece of music. The result would be bad. It is possible to weave this new fragment into the larger work with some effort; but multiply these additions many times and, what do you get? Something beyond repair.
So let us direct our anger to the perpetrators, or better yet, let us try to undo some of the damage to ecosystems and most of all: let us stop moving things where they don’t belong!
http://polinizador.wordpress.com/2010/07/18/introduced-species-discordant-notes/

Beatriz Moisset
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May 06, 2011

Although I appreciate Virginia’s comments and do not go completely ballistic myself, being on the shore and in southeastern Connecticut we constantly deal with Oriental Bittersweet, Autumn Olive and Phragmites.  All will try the patience of Job and are a never-ending challenge.

Carl Strand

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