Invasive plant species are appearing more and more throughout Virginia, causing a tremendous number of negative impacts to our environment. Thus, you should look out for and know how to deal with these plants if they appear on your landscape. Specifically, keep in mind a quality forestry mulching service in your area. Its team can get rid of the invasive plants on your landscape while also tidying the space for your use and enjoyment.
Timber Works Tree Care works diligently to stay aware of environmental issues in Nokesville, VA, and throughout Northern Virginia, especially those involving invasive plants. We want to do our part in supporting our local ecosystems. So, along with looking for invasive plants, we also perform tree and forestry inspections for plant-killing pests and diseases. We are dedicated to sustaining our environment so that it remains strong and healthy for future generations.
Below, we discuss what invasive plants are and list some of the varieties present in Virginia:
What are Invasive Plants?
A species of plant is considered “invasive” when it appears–intentionally or unintentionally–in an environment that it did not evolve in. Usually, its appearance disturbs natural processes as well as the species that are natural to the region.
Invasive plants can drive native species–including plants and animals–to extinction simply due to their effects on the ecosystem. Moreover, they can undermine an ecosystem’s biodiversity, resulting in further negative impacts on the environment and making it nearly uninhabitable if left unaddressed.
In Virginia, the Department of Conservation and Recreation is among the organizations seeking to deal with the issue of invasive plant species. One way in which they have begun to deal with the problem is by identifying the variety of invasive species in the area, along with ranking them according to several criteria:
- How they alter the natural processes, like water flow and soil chemistry.
- The number of natural habitats they invade.
- Their impact on rare/vulnerable native species and regions.
- How fast they disperse to new areas.
- How widely abundant they are.
- The amount of resources needed to control their spread.
According to these criteria, a particular species can be ranked “High”, “Medium”, or “Low”, reflecting their negative impact on forests and natural environments throughout Virginia.
Many of these plants should be professionally managed by skilled and experienced tree companies like Timber Works, who have spent years removing overgrowth and excess forestry, including invasive plants, through our expert forestry mulching services.
Below, we list just some of the invasive plant species the Department of Conservation and Recreation have identified within Virginia:
High-Rank Invasive Plants
- “Tree-of-heaven”
- Oriental Bittersweet
- Canada Thistle
- Kudzu
- Mile-a-minute
Medium-Rank Invasive Plants
- Norway Maple
- Bull Thistle
- Golden Bamboo
- Jetbead
- Chinese Wisteria
- Chinese Silvergrass
- Japanese Hops
Low-Rank Invasive Plants
- Periwinkle
- Japanese Wisteria
- Asiatic Dayflower
- White Mulberry
- Siberian Elm
- Silver Poplar
Timber Works Tree Care: Qualified, Efficient Forestry Mulching in Nokesville, VA
Detecting and removing invasive species from your property will ensure the health of your landscape and that your local environment is sustained. An expert forestry mulching service, such as Timber Works Tree Care, can help to keep your property thriving for years with proper tree care. We are among the top tree removal and land clearing companies in Nokesville, VA. We stay current on all arboreal and horticultural information to ensure we continue to provide quality advice and tree care. Contact us today at (540) 692-9606 to learn more about our services and get a free estimate.