Fall is in full gear, and for many people that means it’s the start of the holiday decorating season. This is a reminder to be aware that Asiatic bittersweet and multiflora rose, two invasive species, are sometimes used to make holiday wreaths, garlands and other decorations. These plants are on the Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List [...]
The New England Wild Flower Society has uploaded a series of short videos to YouTube profiling invasive plants in Massachusetts. To learn more, check out their identification tips for mile-a-minute vine (Polygonum perfoliatum), Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum), and multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora).
If you think you see mile-a-minute vine, please photograph it or take a sample, [...]
What lives in the Blue Hills, grows 6 inches a day and is destroying the habitat of our native species? Join DCR Forestry Assistant Alexandra Echandi for a talk about Mile-a-Minute, an invasive weed recently identified in the Blue Hills. Learn how to identify, report and help control the spread of this and other invasive [...]
State environmental officials are urging consumers to avoid invasive plants in holiday decorating.
With the holiday season fast approaching, the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (DAR) and the Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Fish and Wildlife (MassWildlife) are urging homeowners and holiday decorators to beware of invasive plants that may be used in holiday [...]
Mile-a-minute vine (Polygonum perfoliatum), an invasive vine native to eastern Asia, has been confirmed in two new counties in Massachusetts.
Also known as “devil’s tail” or “Asiatic tear-thumb,” mile-a-minute vine was first discovered in Massachusetts in 2006 in two locations: Falmouth (Barnstable County) and Milton (Norfolk County). Through a multi-agency effort to uncover new populations of [...]
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation is seeking volunteers to help pull mile-a-minute vine in Fowl Meadow, part of the Blue Hills Reservation. Mile-a-minute vine (Polygonum perfoliatum, “MAM”), an invasive species native to Asia, was discovered in Fowl Meadow in 2006 and now covers more than 40 acres. Fowl Meadow is an area of [...]
The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources has recently updated the invasive plant pages on its website. Now that the “phase out” period has ended, the Prohibited Plant list has been simplified. You can also now view the list sorted by common or scientific name. If you would prefer a print version of this list, you [...]
The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources regulates a list of Prohibited Plants, more than 100 non-native species that are considered invasive or noxious weeds. These plants are prohibited from sale, trade, distribution, and related activities in our state. As of January 1, 2009, the following ornamental species, which had been under a phase-out period, now [...]
The Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach Project is part of the Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS), a partnership between all 50 states and the USDA to detect and monitor exotic pests, pathogens and weeds. Each fall, the Massachusetts CAPS Committee, with members from the Mass. Department of Agricultural Resources, USDA APHIS-PPQ, UMass Extension, and non-governmental organizations [...]
A new key to the Wood Boring Beetles of the World is now available online. The key includes identification characters for ten different beetle families as well as fact sheets and many excellent photos. It was developed by the USDA/APHIS/PPQ Center for Plant Health Science and Technology (CPHST) using LUCID software, and required Java to [...]
Asian Longhorned Beetle News