Common invasive plants around Roaring Brook Lake
Garlic Mustard
Garlic Mustard is an aggressive invasive plant, originally from Europe. It outcompetes woodland plants, including tree seedlings, by tolerating deep shade as well as full sun, by seeding prolifically, and by producing allelopathic chemicals that that interfere with the growth of other plants.
A great way to identify Garlic Mustard is by the garlicky smell of its crushed leaves.
The best time to remove Garlic Mustard is in the spring of the second year, when it is in flower, but before it begins to make seed. Most of the time, it pulls out pretty easily with a white, S-shaped tap root. Its usually not worth your time to pull the first year plants, most of them will die on their own,
Multiflora Rose
Multiflora rose is a thorny, thicket-forming invasive, originally from Asia. It is quite pretty in May, with a fragrant, white flower, but quite nasty to walk through any time of the year.
It was brought to the US in about 1860 and planted extensively in the 1930’s to fence in livestock and to prevent erosion.
It thrives in shade or sun, makes millions of seeds, and can put down roots anywhere one of its arching branches touches the ground.
Japanese Stilt Grass
Japanese stilt grass arrived at RBL in about 2010 and is now ubiquitous, in almost every yard, on the roadsides, and, unfortunately, throughout Fahnestock Park.
It is an annual grass, and can be slowed by mowing in late August before it seeds, or by hand pulling. (It pulls very easily.) It is a prolific seeder, though, and the seeds spread by wind, water, by animals, or on the bottom of shoes.