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Sustainable Landscape Blog
- Coastal Forest – a CT DEEP Critical Habitat
- Tri-Town Preserve in Gabbro Country
- ALERT: MOW DOWN MUGWORT BEFORE SEEDS RIPEN
- Emerald Ash Borer Control in Connecticut
- Where are the Starry Campions?
- Lesser Celandine – a Temptress
- Mugwort’s Milestones
- Critical Habitats in Connecticut
- Rich and Poor in the Plant World – Part 1
- Transplanting Soil Blocks, a Biodiversity Rescue Tool
Category Archives: Invasive Species
ALERT: MOW DOWN MUGWORT BEFORE SEEDS RIPEN
ALERT: MOW DOWN MUGWORT BEFORE FROST, WHEN ITS SEEDS START TO FLY Connecticut plant scientists and volunteers who work on invasive issues are gravely concerned that mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) is spreading rapidly throughout our road network. Minute seeds are blown … Continue reading
Posted in Botany, food chain, Invasive Species
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Lesser Celandine – a Temptress
When lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) came up in a shady moist part of my yard, I admit, I did not promptly rip it out, though I do know it is a confirmed Invasive Plant Species, on the official Connecticut List. … Continue reading
Critical Habitats in Connecticut
Introduction I am often asked, just what is a critical habitat, and is it protected or not? My answer is drawn from a hybrid DEEP document (map plus explanations and keys) called “Critical Habitats” last revised in 2011. Recently retired … Continue reading
Posted in Botany, Invasive Species, Soils, Uncategorized, Water Quality, Wildlife Habitat
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Rich and Poor in the Plant World – Part 1
My much-loved, old, heavy botanical manuals (e.g. Fernald and Britton and Brown) always include a sentence or two about the habitat where a plant is found, as well as exceedingly detailed morphological descriptions. “Found in rich soil” is a frequent … Continue reading
Posted in Botany, Invasive Species, Soils, Wildlife Habitat
Tagged lemmon@snet.net, rema8@aol.com
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The Red Menace
Euonymus alata, also known as burning bush, is at least a clear-cut villain, unlike some of the other invasives. I recall spending a long June day collecting vegetation data in an an immense Euonymus thicket, a former estate in Wilton. … Continue reading
Rose Maze
Yesterday at dusk I was near downtown Wilton, at the site of a future apartment building. I was trying to get out of an approximately 2-acre thicket of invasive shrubs and vines, after characterizing them. It was raining hard, so … Continue reading
Ailing from Indoor Air Pollution? Go Outside!
This afternoon I heard on public radio (Faith Middleton Show) that health problems from indoor air pollution are worst in the most energy efficient, air-tight homes (LEED- certified). I also heard that on average Americans spend less than 95% of … Continue reading
Posted in Energy efficiency, Invasive Species, Native Landscaping, Soils, Uncategorized, Wildlife Habitat
Tagged energy efficiency, lawn care, LEED, organic, weeds
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Zig-zag Dog Walks
When walking my dog Mackie in our tidy, suburban neighborhood, I zigzag back and forth across the street, trying to avoid lawns that are aggressively chemical-treated, as Mackie is always “nose to the ground” unless he hears something of interest … Continue reading
Bittersweet Medusa
A fat, single bittersweet vine is twining high into the crown of a tree, and there are no nearby sprouts to be seen. However, should you sever that vine and neglect to promptly paint the cut stump with an herbicide, … Continue reading