As Minnesotans we love our forests and wild places. After a long winter our lands come alive in an almost tropical fashion. Lush verdant trees and bushes, birds singing, vines climbing, flowers popping, how refreshing! What an abundance of growth we enjoy. Our consistent rains, deep, rich top soil and long days of sun create this phenomena. All this life has been in relative balance, functioning autonomously for thousands of years and is a pride of our region. Yet, like so many facets of modern life, human intervention and the advent of modern practices (such as transporting plants one bioregion to another) has created a problem which now requires a concerted effort to reverse. The balance that we have enjoyed in the past is now threatened by an aggressive, noxious, invasive species. We’ve all heard of it, Buckthorn. It's bad. Our number one problem plant affecting the local, natural ecosystems.
Buckthorn is easily spotted, especially in the spring and fall. It’s the first plant to produce leaves and last to lose them. It can be found in small forested areas on private properties, often hiding with other shrubs and trees. It’s found in the forgotten zones between adjacent properties that have been left wild for privacy. Sometimes it’s even been planted as a hedge! This is because the species was originally sold at nurseries. Buckthorn is in our parks, along bike trails and aside highways. One reason Buckthorn is so aggressive is because the fruit acts as a laxative for birds and mice. They eat the berries and rapidly excrete them while moving about. When you think of Buckthorn, we’re not just talking about bushes. Many people are surprised to learn that the 20 foot understory tree with a thick grey trunk is not a desirable tree in their yard, but rather a mature buckthorn. The mature trees are the most damaging, as they produce huge amounts of berries, spreading seed throughout their property and neighboring communities.
We know Buckthorn is pervasive, but it hasn’t taken over completely, not yet. We still have grand forests where one can easily walk through the understory, with the canopy above starting some 30 feet in the air. In these ecologically intact places, wild spring-ephemeral flowers come and soon go after the snow melts. Plants like Wild Leeks, Virginia Bluebell and Maiden-Hair Fern grow on the forest floor. We have Cedar, Maple, Oak, Linden, Poplar, Pine and Cottonwood trees growing in regal fashion throughout our state. However, all of this becomes clogged, congested and squashed by Buckthorn. The reason being, Buckthorn leafs out before any of our natives species and remains green long after everything else has lost its leaves. They block the sun from the saplings and herbaceous plants we desire, hogging the light and moisture they need to thrive. When Buckthorn grows, it creates thick stands that are practically impossible to pass through. Native plants can't compete, thereby reducing the habitat and food sources animals relay on as well.
So, what can be done? Act fast. We need to eliminate the Buckthorn on private property, as well as municipalities, removing it from our parks. Effectively reducing the future problem from becoming worse than it is today. Let’s protect the great stands of native forests where Buckthorn is just beginning to establish at the forests edge. What an opportunity! We can revert an inevitable disaster! Removing these plants now will make it exponentially easier to protect those ecosystems than if we ignore it and address it in the future. Do it yourself or have it professionally done. Encourage your neighbors to do the same, as neighboring trees can continue populating your property. Learn to identify Buckthorn and start seeing it in the landscape. Plant native species like Serviceberry and Sandcherry that are food sources to bees, birds and other woodland animals.
How is it done? To effectively eliminate Buckthorn you simply need a saw and herbicide. The herbicide is used sparingly only on the freshly cut trunk, to treat the stump. This will keep the plant from shooting up vigorous suckers, growing back from the ground, as the living root system isn’t killed through cutting down the plant alone. It does take time and effort however, after your Buckthorn is removed you’ll find you have more of your property back. This gives you an opportunity to plant desirable species in place of the removed Buckthorn, creating both beauty and biodiversity. Together we can curb this extensive problem. The more people on board, the easier it will be for everyone. I am professional gardener with 20 years experience in our region. Feel free to contact me with any questions about how to get started removing Buckthorn.
