Thought it might be interesting to start a list of invasive Plants and animals and any good methods of control. If others could post pics that would be great.

Ailanthus (tree of heaven) remove by pulling out stumps and pulling all roots.

Japanese stilt grass (cut each year or burn each year just before it goes to seed)

Japanese barberry (cut and burn all thickets with berries and pull root system up.)

Garlic mustard (manual removal and makes a good pesto)

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid

...Near Trapps climbers...

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid

What can the layman do about that? The most loathsome species are indigenous: biting/stinging insects and poison ivy.

You can use any organic horticultural oil or soap to control woolly adelgid. Loathsome as some stinging insects migjt be they are actually quite beneficial environmentally. Most hornets and wasps eat many other pest insects. The chemical agents used to control stinging insects are far worse that the insects themselves. If you think poison ivy is bad check out giant hogweed, an invasive that is for the moment rare in the gunks.

MPNA

Good thing this flooding happened before the japanese stilt grass went to seed. Hopefully the towns will not cut the grass in september while this grass has seeds as this further spreads it.

I heard the Mohonk Mtn House is encouraging the spread of stilt grass in a ploy to further devalue neighboring land. They may even be suggesting that the town time their cutting so as to maximize the seed dispersal.

Obviously the storm itself and associated flooding is also a nefarious plot by the evil Mohonk Mtn House and the Preserve to further devalue neighboring land, all orchestrated by that fiendish organization, the Smiley family.

No one has yet mentioned the Bar Flies. Nasty critters.

Oh yu said seed dispersal!

Jeez the I advocacy group is still around. I smell Kent.

check out giant hogweed

I did and was amazed. I can imagine a vindictive person spreading its seeds around someone's residence. One's best weapon against it might be the goat.

Japanese stiltgrass is seeding now so if you cut it and move it the seeds will spread. If you cut it now make sure to burn the grass to prevent seed dispersal.

Garlic Mustard is flowering now. For those who are interested it's a good time to pull this very invasive herb. It also happens to be quite tasty and we regularly serve it on our invasive species menu in the spring. Just make sure to eat the leaves and discard the root and stem in the trash. Young rosettes are tastier than older plants and can be made into pesto, or cooked like spinach.

MPNA

I don't recall seeing garlic mustard in any seed catalog. If it's so tasty, might it be missed if eradicated? Or is that highly unlikely?

It is so prolific that it changes complete forest ecosystems and is banned from sale in many if not all states. We are involved in a pull right now that is going well, plus you get to bring home all the GM you want for dinner. It would be a great service to the environment if the Mohonk Preserve had every visitor pull a hand full of this stuff on the way in and on the way out. I know that there have been Garlic Mustard pulls at other preserves.


MPNA

Quoted from the Catskills Native Nursery Catskills Native Nursery Facebook 2011 post:

BAD PLANT, BAD!
Now is the time when one of the worst invasive plants makes itself prominent, I'm talking about GARLIC MUSTARD (Alliaria petiolata). This rampant weed is an ecological threat to native plants and animals in the forest communities of The Catskills (and other places).

Many native wildflowers that complete their life cycles in the springtime (e.g., spring beauty, wild ginger, bloodroot, Dutchman's breeches, hepatica, toothworts, and trilliums) occur in the same habitat as garlic mustard. Once introduced to an area, garlic mustard outcompetes native plants by aggressively monopolizing light, moisture, nutrients, soil and space. Wildlife species that depend on these early plants for their foliage, pollen, nectar, fruits, seeds and roots, are deprived of these essential food sources when garlic mustard replaces them. Humans are also deprived of the vibrant display of beautiful spring wildflowers. White-tailed deer worsen the problem because they prefer native plants to garlic mustard, thus large deer populations may help to expand its range by removing competing native plants and exposing the soil and seedbed through trampling.

Invasions of garlic mustard are causing the extinction of the woodland toothwort butterflies because the butterfly cannot tell the difference between garlic mustard and wildflowers known as "toothworts" (Dentaria), also in the mustard family, that are the primary food source for the caterpillar stage of this butterfly. Chemicals in garlic mustard appear to be toxic to the eggs of the butterfly, as evidenced by their failure to hatch when laid on garlic mustard plants by the confused mother butterfly.

A single garlic mustard plant can produce thousands of seeds. Herbicides are not very effective against this plant and the best method to control it is pulling it up by hand. Care must be taken to remove the plant with its entire root system because new plants can sprout from root fragments. Do not put the plant in your compost bin because the plant has properties that damage soil and make it difficult for other plants to grow. In a study in Ontario, scientists found that sugar maple and other hardwood seedlings grew much slower and did not germinate as well in soil areas infested with garlic mustard.

Yes, you can eat garlic mustard, but it's a powerfully stinky and your skin and breath will smell like it for 24 hours after ingesting. If you want to eat it, I suggest you pull up the whole plant, harvest the leaves and throw the rest in the garbage. You might be saving a toothwort butterfly or sugar maple seedling in the process.

"Yes, you can eat garlic mustard, but it's a powerfully stinky and your skin and breath will smell like it for 24 hours after ingesting. If you want to eat it, I suggest you pull up the whole plant, harvest the leaves and throw the rest in the garbage. You might be saving a toothwort butterfly or sugar maple seedling in the process."


This is not true! Actually the young plants are quite tasty and can be eaten raw or cooked like spinach. It will not make your breath and skin smell for 24 hrs. Discard as the article suggests or burn it to prevent further spread. Here are a couple of ideas for eating.

Creamed garlic mustard
garlic mustard pesto
raw in salad

Use only young leaves or the micro green shoots for best flavor.