Knowledgebase

Bittersweet Vine Killing Trees #825672

Asked April 14, 2023, 3:01 PM EDT

This invasive plant is killing trees on and near my property. Can the State or County remove it?

Baltimore County Maryland

Expert Response

With so many invasive plant species occupying natural areas, land managers at the local, county, and state level unfortunately cannot eradicate them all or even attempt to remove many of them. It looks like there are several other invasive plants on the forest floor in these images that would also warrant removal, if it were possible. (Lesser Celandine is one possibly...it's hard to see clearly to be sure. You might already be aware of those.) Bittersweet may require the use of a systemic herbicide (and re-visits to re-apply it later) to get total control of the roots left behind once the vines are cut to kill the top growth.

Montgomery County has a Weed Warriors program where volunteers are trained to identify weeds and remove them, though without the use of herbicide as far as we're aware. You could reach out to your county government to ask if there is a similar program in your area. You could also ask about informing a county forester, if they have one, since tree health on public property is a concern.

Miri

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