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Vermont Invasives

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Buckthorn, Common

Rhamnus cathartica

  • Read more about Buckthorn, Common
  • Common buckthorn: leaves are arranged sub-oppositely (almost alternate or opposite in some cases), oval, with toothed margins, and veins run parallel towards the tip.
  • Common buckthorn: leaves are arranged sub-oppositely (almost alternate or opposite in some cases), oval, with toothed margins, and veins run parallel towards the tip.
  • Common buckthorn: twigs are usually tipped with a sharp spine.
  • Common buckthorn: buds.
  • Common buckthorn: 4-petaled flowers develop in clusters of 2 to 6 near the base of the petioles.
  • Common buckthorn: fruits are small, black berries.
  • Common buckthorn: characteristic orange inner bark on older growth.
  • Common buckthorn: bark is dark gray.
  • Look-alike: common chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) has droopy clusters of flowers and fruit, and leaf veins do not run parallel towards the tip like in common buckthorn

Burning Bush or Winged Euonymus

Euonymus alatus

  • Read more about Burning Bush or Winged Euonymus
  • Burning bush: opposite leaves, that are elliptic or oval in shape, with a finely toothed edge, that turn red/purple in the fall.
  • Burning bush: corky "winged" bark.
  • Burning bush: corky "winged" bark.
  • Burning bush: flowers are inconspicuous, are greenish yellow and have four petals.
  • Burning bush: fruit, reddish capsules that split to reveal orange fleshy seeds.
  • Burning bush: fruit, reddish capsules that split to reveal orange fleshy seeds.
  • Burning bush: infestation.
  • Burning bush: infestation.
  • Look-alike: spindle-tree is also a Euonymus, with a pink capsule and orange/red fruit inside. This is also an invasive species.

Swallowwort, Black

Cynanchum louiseae

  • Read more about Swallowwort, Black
  • Black swallowwort: small, dark, star-shaped flowers.
  • Black swallowwort: small, dark, star-shaped flowers.
  • Black swallowwort: small, dark, star-shaped flowers.
  • Black swallowwort: leaves are opposite, dark green, oval, and shiny with entire margins. Leaves are from 3-4 in. long and 2-3 in. wide. A short petiole attaches the leaf to the vine.
  • Black swallowwort: fruit are pods, similar to milkweed pods, which are slender, 2-3 in. long and split to reveal small seeds with tufts of white hairs.
  • Black swallowwort: fruit are pods, similar to milkweed pods, which are slender, 2-3 in. long and split to reveal small seeds with tufts of white hairs.
  • Black swallowwort: fruit are pods, similar to milkweed pods, which are slender, 2-3 in. long and split to reveal small seeds with tufts of white hairs.
  • Black swallowwort: fruit are pods, similar to milkweed pods, which are slender, 2-3 in. long and split to reveal small seeds with tufts of white hairs.
  • Black swallowwort: infestation.
  • Look-alike: pale swallowwort (also an invasive species) flower petals are longer than they are wide, and are pale pink to burgundy in color.

Autumn Olive

Elaeagnus umbellata

  • Read more about Autumn Olive
  • Autumn olive: alternate long oval leaves, with silvery undersides, and slight wave to the edge.
  • Autumn olive: leaves and flowers
  • Autumn olive: small, yellowish tubular flowers are abundant and occur in clusters of 5 to 10 near the stems in early summer.
  • Autumn olive: leaves are bright green to gray green above and silver scaly beneath with short petioles.
  • Autumn olive: leaves are bright green to gray green above and silver scaly beneath with short petioles.
  • Autumn olive: thorny branches.
  • Autumn olive: plant form.
  • Autumn olive: fruit is reddish to pink, round, and covered in scales that look like silvery spots.
  • Autumn olive: leaves and fruit.
  • Autumn olive: infestation.
  • Autumn olive: infestation.
  • Look-alike: Russian olive has silvery scales covering both sides of its leaves.

Bittersweet, Asiatic

Celastrus orbiculatus

  • Read more about Bittersweet, Asiatic
  • Asiatic bittersweet: small globose fruits are green when young; ripen to yellow; then split to reveal showy, scarlet berries that persist into winter.
  • Asiatic bittersweet: alternate, elliptical to circular leaves are light green in color and 2-5 in. long.
  • Asiatic bittersweet: small, inconspicuous, axillary, greenish-white flowers bloom from May to early June.
  • Asiatic bittersweet: small globose fruits are green when young; ripen to yellow; then split to reveal showy, scarlet berries that persist into winter.
  • Asiatic bittersweet: small globose fruits are green when young; ripen to yellow; then split to reveal showy, scarlet berries that persist into winter.
  • Asiatic bittersweet: small globose fruits are green when young; ripen to yellow; then split to reveal showy, scarlet berries that persist into winter.
  • Asiatic bittersweet: woody vine that climbs saplings and trees and can grow over 60 feet in length.
  • Asiatic bittersweet: woody vine that climbs saplings and trees and can grow over 60 feet in length.
  • Asiatic bittersweet: infestation.
  • Asiatic bittersweet: infestation.
  • Look-alike: American bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) with terminal fruits.

Elongate Hemlock Scale

Fiorinia externa Ferris

  • Read more about Elongate Hemlock Scale
  • Elongate hemlock scale: yellow-brown scale coverings and light white wool on the underside of the needles.
  • Elongate hemlock scale: yellow-brown scale coverings.
  • Elongate hemlock scale: adult stage of EHS.
  • Look-alike: cryptomeria scale.
  • Look-alike: native hemlock scale.

Dutch Elm Disease

Ophiostoma novo-ulmi

  • Read more about Dutch Elm Disease
  • Dutch elm disease: dead elm.
  • Dutch elm disease: early wilt symptoms of dutch elm disease.
  • Dutch elm disease: spore-bearing bodies of Dutch elm disease.
  • Dutch elm disease: streaking of vascular tissue due to Dutch elm disease.
  • Dutch elm disease: yellowing and wilting of leaves (flagging).
  • Dutch elm disease: bark beetle galleries under elm tree bark.
  • Dutch elm disease: European elm bark beetle galleries.
  • Dutch elm disease: American elm twig with streaking.

Chestnut Blight

Cryphonectria parasitica

  • Read more about Chestnut Blight
  • Chestnut blight: swollen canker near base of tree.
  • Chestnut blight: dieback above canker.
  • Chestnut blight: yellow-orange fungal fruiting bodies.
  • Chestnut blight: Long, orange-yellow tendrils of Cryphonectria parasitica pycnidiospores.
  • Chestnut blight: Yellow-orange, pin head sized fungal fruiting bodies (pycnidia) on the bark and cankers.

Ash Yellows

Candidatus Phytoplasma fraxini

  • Read more about Ash Yellows
  • Ash yellows: witches’ brooms, clusters of upright spindly shoots of leaves on lower trunk.
  • Ash yellows: causes foliage to tuft at the tips.
  • Ash yellows: ash tree dieback.
  • Ash yellows: bark crack and witches brooms.
  • Ash yellows: loss of dominant apical growth pattern.
  • Ash yellows: upturned leaf margins.
  • Look-alike: ash anthracnose.

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid

Adelges tsugae

  • Read more about Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
  • Hemlock woolly adelgid: white, cottony balls at base of hemlock needles.
  • Hemlock woolly adelgid: white, cottony balls at base of hemlock needles.
  • Hemlock woolly adelgid: needles yellow and fall out, leading to crown thinning and tree mortality.
  • Look-alike: spider egg sacs.
  • Look-alike: spittlebug (on a pine tree).
  • Look-alike: hemlock needleminer.

Pagination

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