Evil buckthorn

I thought I'd start a new thread, after reading the following from Equilibrium:

"Buckthorn is very injurious to the environment anywhere on the continent of North America. It's listed as a noxious weed here in the US. Do a search here for Rhamnus. It doesn't have the lipids requisite to sustain migrating birds that many of the native species have. Yet, they eat it and then fly overhead pooping it out in ready made fertilizer packs into other areas where it germinates and the vicious circle repeats itself. Buckthorn is a fierce competitor and wipes out entire understories. It has a longer growing season than the native species and this give it its competitive edge in that it leafs out earlier blocking sunlight to the woodland floor which inhibits the germination of oaks and hickories as well as thousands of other species that wildlife depend upon for survival. One of the reason why we aren't seeing the rejuvination of many species these days. If you choose to remove any of your buckthorn, please let me know and I will be more than happy to guide you to avoid resuckering."

YIKES! This stuff grows wild at our cottage, and we've cut it out here and there but haven't gone on a campaign against it. I think I'll take a walk next time I'm there and see how much of it we actually have. And I'd certainly like to know about suckering on this plant. I've never really checked to see if it shoots up again.

We also have a lot of ironwood -- weedy little saplings, mostly.

Our honeysuckle is all planted by us, mostly purchased, named hybrids, and then divided to increase them. They seem well behaved, not invasive at all, and provide bloom and berries for the wildlife. we probably have about 10 shrubs of it. I haven't found any volunteers beyond where we've planted it. Interestingly, it's used a lot here in Ottawa as a landscaping feature. The only problem with it (from observation) is the aphid/witch's broom effect which happens from time to time. On the plus side, we have enormous flocks of waxwings in the city (discreet, beautiful birds).

Thanks for your helpful advice, Equilibrium.

Oh my gosh, I am so sorry I didn't see this thread earlier. Don't get too panicky, it seems to grow wild everywhere. It has naturalized. The term naturalized can be very confusing. I know it certainly was for me not too long ago. The term "naturalize" is almost always used in the context of non-native plants or non-native animals.

Buckthorn isn't evil, it's just on the wrong continent ;) I must admit it is one of the species I would most like to see gone for many reasons one of which would be the long term cost to the forestry industry in both your country and mine. The more this species takes a foothold, the less space for the hardwoods that we humans depend upon. Sooner or later the cost of lumber will go through the ceiling and then it will be an all out crisis... for a plant that was known to be a cause of concern for decades.

Here's some basics on the plant-
http://www.ovma.on.ca/Weeds/buckthorn.htm

Little bit more here-
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/invasives/fact/buckthorn_com.htm

Some information here on controlling buckthorn but I have my own system that is working quite well-
http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/YGLNews/YGLN-Apr0103.html#buckthorn

Some images here-
http://www.invasive.org/browse/genusimages.cfm?id=Rhamnus

I dubbed myself the buckthorn queen as a joke because I have certainly removed enough non-native rhamnus spp. and lost count when I started hitting about 4,000 plants. If anyone wants to wrestle me for my self appointed buckthorn queen title, take it ;)

Here's something else I wrote about Rhamnus-
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/488269/

Here's something else I wrote that you might find interesting-
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/470063/

Ironweed is a common name. Do you have a photo or the Latin name to this plant? Please know that native species can get out of control too so it might be a species that is indigenous to your area. Although there is no documentation out there of a native plant forming a monoculture in a native plant community, this does not mean that some can't be equally as aggressive as some alien species. Comes down to too much of a good thing not being a good thing.

I'd have to see photos of your Honeysuckles but there are some issues with the Asian honeysuckles. I'm not in the least surprised Honeysuckles are used a lot in Ottawa as a landscaping feature. Buckthorn, Russian & Autumn Olives, Asian Honeysuckles, White Mulberry, Burning Bushes, Bradford & Cleveland Select Pears are all used a lot down here as landscape plants. For some reason these plants really get pushed.

Nightie night andycdn