Beware of Invasives

The sparse fringe of yellow blossoms to the left is all that remains of two formerly robust forsythia bushes. Asiatic Bittersweet, the brown vines to the right, overwhelmed the forsythia.

There are also some large weed trees in the mix. The landlord we had from 2000 to 2010 cut back on landscaping to the point where we got about 15 minutes of grass cutting about every two weeks with no attention to shrubs and bushes. Previously, we had full landscaping services every Monday.

The new landlord inherited a big mess which will take years to rectify.

If you have any Asiatic Bittersweet on your property, the time is now to eradicate it. You may have enjoyed its pretty orange berries in the fall, but each berry holds the seeds of a new vine. These vines can climb many feet in a season and they choke out your valuable ornamentals and trees by blocking sunlight with their leaves.

Click here for more information. Here is an overview with more links.

--Bernice