Plant Identification

The page includes the invasive plants that we hope to eradicate in the Iron Furnace region. Download the files below to see the descriptions, ecological threats, distributions, and management options for each invasive plant.

Multiflora Rose
Scientific name: Rosa multiflora
Multiflora rose can form impenetrable thickets that exclude native plant species.
Read more about multiflora rose (PDF, 259 KB)

Johnson Grass
Scientific name: Sorghum halepense
Johnson grass spreads aggressively and can form dense colonies, displacing native vegetation and restricting tree seedling establishment.
Read more about Johnson Grass (PDF, 70.2 KB)

Japanese Stiltgrass
Scientific name: Microstegium vimineum
Japanese stiltgrass threatens native plants and natural habitats in open to shady, and moist to dry locations, displacing native species that cannot compete with it.
Read more about Japanese stiltgrass (PDF, 155KB)

Garlic Mustard
Scientific name: Alliaria petiolata
Garlic mustard outcompetes native plants by monopolizing light, moisture, nutrients, etc. Wildlife species that depend on these native plants are deprived of these essential food sources when garlic mustard replaces them.
Read more about garlic mustard (PDF, 189KB)

Japanese Knotweed
Scientific name: Polygonum cuspidatum
Japanese knotweed poses a significant threat to riparian areas, where it can survive severe floods and is able to rapidly colonize scoured shores and islands. 
Read more about Japanese knotweed (PDF, 90KB)

Kudzu
Scientific name: Pueraria montana var. lobata
Kudzu kills or degrades other plants by smothering them under a solid blanket of leaves, by girdling woody stems and tree trunks, and by breaking branches or uprooting entire trees and shrubs through the sheer force of its weight. Read more about kudzu (PDF, 108 KB)

Tree of Heaven
Scientific name: Ailanthus altissima
Tree-of-heaven can quickly take over a site by out competing native trees at the canopy level. It spreads rapidly from seeds and by sprouting from the root system. It also produces toxins that prevent the establishment of other plant species.
Read more about tree of heaven (PDF, 200 KB)

Bush Honeysuckle
Scientific name: Lonicera cultivars
Bush honeysuckles can rapidly invade and overtake a site. They alter habitats by decreasing light availability, depleting soil moisture and nutrients, and possibly releasing toxic chemicals that prevent other plant species from growing in the vicinity.
Read more about bush honeysuckle (PDF, 97 KB)

Japanese Honeysuckle
Scientific name: Lonicera cultivars
Japanese honeysuckle's evergreen to semi-evergreen nature gives it an added advantage over native species. Shrubs and young trees can be killed by girdling when vines twist tightly around stems and trunks, cutting off the flow of water through the plant.
Read more about Japanese honeysuckle (PDF, 108 KB)

Source:
Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Area http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/bkgd.htm
Missouri Department of Natural Resource http://www.dnr.mo.gov/greenbldg/wildflowers/johnson-grass.htm