Invasives, Diseases and Pests Alerts
Viburnum Leaf BeetleViburnum leaf beetle is a serious threat found in all CT except New London County. Highly susceptible plants are: V. dentatum complex, arrowwood viburnumsV. nudum, possum-haw, smooth witherod viburnumV. opulus, European cranberrybush viburnumV. opulus var. americana (formerly V. trilobum), American cranberrybush viburnumV. propinquum*, Chinese viburnum, Taiwanese viburnumV. rafinesquianum, Rafinesque viburnumIf you see it, please let Susan Munger (NL MG Coordinator) and/or CAES know. Visit UMass for a fact sheet. Visit Cornell for more information.
Mile-a-Minute VineMile-a-Minute vine (Persicaria perfoliata), sometimes referred to as "the Kudzu of the North", was originally found in Greenwich and has since spread to 15 towns and cities in Connecticut. (Photo: Todd Mervosh, CT Agricultural Experiment Station)The public is asked to report any sightings of this highly invasive plant. Mile-a-minute vine outcompetes and overgrows plants. Under ideal conditions, a single plant can grow up to 6 inches in a day! Visit www.hort.uconn.edu/mam for identification tips, photographs, and control information.
Asian Longhorned BeetleThe invasive Asian Longhorned Beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) poses a serious threat to our New England trees. The insect has already caused extensive damage to trees in New York, Illinois, New Jersey, and Worcester, Mass. It was recently reported in Boston (July 2010).To learn more, click on this link to the UConn Home & Garden Education Center Fact Sheet. Further information on the Massachusetts outbreak. The January 2009 edition of NPDN First Detector Network News gives the latest update on this threat. Photo: Donald Duerr - USDA, Forest Service
An adult viburnum leaf beetle. (R. Childs)
Garlic MustardThe herb garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is classified as invasive in many habitats in Connecticut. It is a biennial, producing a rosette of green leaves in its first year of growth; a spike of white flowers appears the following year, and a single plant may produce as many as 7,900 seeds. The germinating seeds out-compete native plants, and can destroy native vegetation over large areas. Garlic mustard plants are able to inhibit the germination of nearby seeds from other species. To protect our native plants, we need to control this invasive plant. Visit http://www.hort.uconn.edu/CIPWG/ for further information.Scientists Identify Weevil as Biocontrol for Garlic Mustard. Read more.
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