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- INVASIVE PLANT: Amazonian plant found in Cumberland creek
- INVASIVE PLANT: Amazonian plant found in Cumberland creek - lk November 4, 2009, 8:18:50
- to see photos /try plant endangers waterway/the dailyjournal.com - lk November 4, 2009, 8:24:26
- Re: INVASIVE PLANT: Amazonian plant found in Cumberland creek - Mulch Man November 4, 2009, 19:05:34
- Re: INVASIVE PLANT: Amazonian plant found in Cumberland creek - lk November 4, 2009, 21:04:26
- Re: INVASIVE PLANT: Amazonian plant found in Cumberland creek - lk November 4, 2009, 21:04:26
« Back to thread - to see photos /try plant endangers waterway/the dailyjournal.com - lk November 4, 2009, 8:24:26
Posted by lk on November 4, 2009, 8:18:50
http://www.thedailyjournal.com/article/
VINELAND -- A highly invasive Amazonian plant that people use worldwide to decorate outdoor ponds has been found in a waterway here.
The parrot feather plant is rooted in large sections of Menantico Creek. It's very difficult and costly to eliminate and, if ignored, it can cause severe environmental problems.
"There are a lot of people that will be potentially affected by this if it continues to grow," said Renee Brecht, associate director of Citizens United to Protect the Maurice River and Its Tributaries.
A city resident first spotted the fern-like plant in the creek nearly two months ago, she said.
Related
Myriophyllum aquaticum (parrot feather)
Dr. Gerry Moore of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden identified it as parrot feather, which is also known by its Latin name, Myriophyllum aquaticum.
After learning what it was, local environmentalists immediately began working with state and national experts to craft a plan for removing the beautiful, but problematic, plant.
Even when a solution is reached, the cleanup process could cost between $30,000 and $100,000 a year just to control it, Brecht said.
"It doesn't sound like much," she said of the plant, "but it can spread and re-root on its own."
Vineland is the first place in New Jersey where the plant has survived winter, Brecht said.
The plant was discovered only recently, but to Brecht, it's clear the plant has been growing for more than a year.
A study in September showed the plant spread over a mile and a half, covering entire stretches of the creek, she said. It has since died back some as the weather cooled, but -- like leaves on a tree --will likely return in the spring, she said.
It's possible invasive plants, like parrot feather, can adapt to cold weather over time, said David Snyder of the state's Office of Natural Lands Management and Natural Heritage Program.
"You try to control it before it spreads," Snyder said of invasives. "Once it gets established, it can be next to impossible to remove."
Vineland Environmental Commission Chairwoman Diane Amico said the plant reproduces by fragmentation, so simply picking it out of the water could allow it to spread and re-root itself. And spraying it doesn't work because the plants are half-submerged and have waxy roots, she said.
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