Look Out For These Invasive Plants in Michigan
Keep a lookout for Michigan’s invasive plant species like the Glossy Buckthorn, Spotted Knapweed, and Multiflora Rose.
Written by Abbey Orzech
Reviewed by Melanie Reiff
Michigan's most invasive terrestrial and aquatic plant species include the tasty-sounding but rapidly spreading Garlic Mustard and the incredibly tall and tough Phragmites—plus 12 more.
The Michigan peninsulas have plentiful and unique biodiversity resulting from the surrounding Great Lakes, and that positioning makes it a beautiful place to live. If you can get past (or snowsport your way through) the harsh winters, Pure Michigan’s natural beauty has much to offer its residents and visitors. But unfortunately, that beauty is sometimes overtaken by invasive plants.
Here to go over the 14 most invasive plant species in Michigan, including their scientific alias and what to do if you happen upon them is
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The top 8 invasive plant species in Florida
1. Autumn Olive
Scientific name: Elaeagnus umbellata
What it looks like: Reaching five to 20 feet with olive leaves, silvery undersides, small cream-colored flowers in the summer and silvery-red berries in the fall.
Why it’s a problem: The Autumn Olive is considered one of the most threatening invasive species in the Midwest today because of its super-spreading abilities. Just one mature plant can spit out about 66,000 seeds each year. Once the plant takes hold, it is terribly difficult to get rid of, and the surrounding native shrubs and trees quickly die from choking roots.
What to do: Manually remove early plants and small patches, do not leave any roots or seeds behind. For mature plants, cut the plant down and apply glyphosate and triclopyr herbicide to the stump. It may require several passes before Autumn Olive is properly removed. You may also report the plant to the
Midwest Invasive Species Information Network
. 2. (Common and Glossy) Buckthorn
Scientific name: Rhamnus cathartica/frangula
What it looks like: A woody, small tree with glossy deep green, oval leaves, and clusters of (unripened) red berries or (ripened) purple-black berries.
Why it’s a problem: These Rhamnus varieties contain emodin. This wildly toxic compound can infiltrate the soil and water around it and is well known to directly cause death or defect in amphibians. The berries are also a powerful laxative—thus dehydrator—for other animals, and the plant itself overtakes and chokes out nearby native vegetation.
What to do: To eliminate Buckthorn, cut the tree down and apply an herbicide to the stump to kill the roots. You may also report the invasive plant to the
Midwest Invasive Species Information Network
for more directions. 3. Multiflora Rose
Scientific name: Rosa multiflora
What it looks like: Shrub with thick, curving, vine-like tangles with thorns and whitish-pink flowers.
Why it’s a problem: The Rosa multiflora can quickly overtake an area of land and choke out the surrounding foliage. Its tangled mass can reach 16 feet tall and becomes an incredible pain—figuratively and literally—to remove because of its strong thorns. As a result, most animals will avoid the area where the Multiflora Rose grows for fear of the thorns.
What to do: Once this plant is established, professional-grade herbicides are no longer that effective. Over several seasons, it will take several passes with the herbicide and manual pulling (wear gloves and long clothes) to banish it.
4. Oriental Bittersweet
Scientific name:Celastrus orbiculatus
What it looks like: Woody vine with either green or glossy yellow leaves, depending on the season.
Why it’s a problem: Oriental Bittersweet vines spread like wildfire and creep up tree canopies with astonishing ease. The density and weight of the growth blocks out the sun, starving the plants below it, and breaking the trees, shrubs, and plants it grows on.
What to do: If you’re dealing with a small infestation, hand-pulling and ensuring no roots are left will work. For large patches, cut the vines down and apply herbicide to the stumps, wait a few days, then manually remove the roots. Report the sighting to the
Midwest Invasive Species Information Network
. 5. Spotted Knapweed
Scientific name: Centaurea stoebe
What it looks like: Plant with hairy stems, small blue-tinted leaves, and bushy purple flowers.
Why it’s a problem: You can find Spotted Knapweed all over The Great Lakes State, but particularly in fields or farms. It’s a relatively pretty-looking plant with an insidious agenda. In addition, C. stoebe is an allelopathic plant, which means it emits toxins into the soil it grows in—obviously not a good thing for the farmers plagued by this plant.
What to do: Hand-pull Spotted Knapweed with gloves and long clothing or use herbicides on large infestations. Be aware that herbicides may kill non-target plants too. Report the invasive plant to the
Midwest Invasive Species Information Network
.6. Garlic Mustard
Scientific name:Alliaria petiolata
What it looks like: One to two feet tall, small white flowers with round, heart-shaped, or kidney-shaped leaves.
Why it’s a problem: How could anything as delicious sounding as Garlic Mustard be bad? Though it can be used to make pesto, spice mixtures, and dips, it is typically more destructive than good as it kills off the surrounding plants and spreads astonishingly quickly thanks to the 3,000 seeds just one of these plants releases.
What to do: Manually remove the plant if it hasn’t flowered yet, disposing of the plant and any seeds in a sealed bag. You must remove the entire root system. Report Garlic Mustard to the
Midwest Invasive Species Information Network
. 7. Giant Knotweed
Scientific name: Fallopia sachalinensis
What it looks like: Bamboo-resembling stalks with numerous greenish-white flowers and heart-shaped, furry-undersided leaves.
Why it’s a problem: Giant Knotweed, as you may have guessed, is giant. It can reach over 12 feet in height and gathers in dense thickets. It is found mostly on streambanks which compromise the soil’s strength, increases erosion, and reduces viable habitats for animals.
What to do: Cut down and bag this plant, then put a glyphosate-based herbicide on the stump to kill the roots. You may have to do this several times before it’s effective. Report Giant Knotweed to the
Midwest Invasive Species Information Network
.8. Japanese Barberry
Scientific name:Berberis thunbergii
What it looks like: Spiny shrub with small, oval leaves that turn red in autumn and reddish-brown stems with thorns. Pale yellow flowers in the spring and early summer.
Why it’s a problem: Japanese Barberry presents major competition for local native species as its thorns make it an unappealing food source to livestock or wildlife. In addition, it can easily spread as birds and other wildlife disperse its seeds. It also has the ability to raise the soil’s pH levels above beneficial levels.
What to do: Pull out early plants with gloves and other protective clothing. For mature plants, cut the stems, dispose of the waste to make sure no seeds are left behind, then treat the stumps with herbicide. You may report it to the
Midwest Invasive Species Information Network
.The six most invasive aquatic plants in Michigan
Aside from the thousands of inland lakes and ponds in Michigan, this state is nearly surrounded by four of the five Great Lakes. Here are six of the most invasive aquatic plants plaguing The Great Lakes State.
1. Carolina Fanwort
Scientific name:Cabomba Caroliniana
What it looks like: Plant with dense, vibrant green, rounded foliage.
Why it’s a problem: Carolina Fanwort can easily kill off other aquatic plants by blocking the sun with its large matting. It also clogs up the waterways and complicates travel for fish, animals, and boats.
What to do: If possible, uproot the plants and dispose of them, but just one seed or root is enough for it to grow back. Report your sighting to the
Midwest Invasive Species Information Network
.2. Curly-leaf Pondweed
Scientific name:Potamogeton crispus
What it looks like: Tall, woody plant with long, wavy, crispy (crispus, get it?) leaves.
Why it’s a problem: The Curly-leaf Pondweed typically forms dense, underwater mats that block sunlight. The plants beneath it cannot photosynthesize and thus die off eventually and are usually replaced by algal blooms.
What to do: This is one of the more difficult aquatic plants to eliminate because it can regrow from the smallest broken root. Report Curly-leaf Pondweed to the
Midwest Invasive Species Information Network
for ideas on how to control its growth. 3. Eurasian Watermilfoil
Scientific name:Myriophyllum spicatum
What it looks like: Tall plant with featherlike foliage.
Why it’s a problem: This invasive aquatic plant grows and spreads rapidly to form a dense growth that kills off the vegetation below it. Harmful bacteria and algae flock to this plant.
What to do: Harvest Eurasian Watermilfoil and dispose of the plant waste, being careful not to leave seeds or roots behind. A selective granular aquatic herbicide may also be helpful, but check your area’s aquatic herbicide application laws. You may report this plant to the
Midwest Invasive Species Information Network
. 4. European Frogbit
Scientific name:Hydrocharis morsus-ranae
What it looks like: Close to a lily pad, with smaller kidney- or heart-shaped leaves floating on the water’s surface.
Why it’s a problem: European Frogbit can spread nearly one mile in just one season. The broad leaves that float on top of the water block out sun, and their long stems reach down to the bottom of the waterway, making it difficult for other plants, fish, animals, or boats to travel.
What to do: Note the location, date and time you noticed it and report it to EGLE Aquatic Invasive Species Program or the
Midwest Invasive Species Information Network
. 5. Phragmites/European Common Reed
Scientific name: Phragmites austrails
What it looks like: Tall and dense reeds with purple, featherlike blooms at the top.
Why it’s a problem: Phragmites is one of the most disliked invasive plants in Michigan and it’s not hard to see why. These incredibly durable reeds can grow to reach 15 feet in height and create a complex and thick root system. Moving through them is near impossible and they block out the sun to kill any vegetation beneath them. Even though they are aquatic, the tall, woody reeds are also known to be a fire hazard.
What to do: Report it to the
Midwest Invasive Species Information Network
or try to cut them down and rip out the entire root system, but be warned—Phragmites is a tough plant. 6. Purple Loosestrife
Scientific name: Lythrum salicaria
What it looks like: A beautiful and tall green plant with purple flower blooms.
Why it’s a problem: The Purple Loosestrife flowers are not only beautiful to us, but to pollinators. But as more pollinators get drawn into this plant, other native pollen and nectar-providing plants begin to decline. As the native plants decline, the pollen and nectar sources available to the pollinators also decline, and this eventually trickles down to a decline in the pollinators themselves.
What to do: Hand-pull these plants if you spot them in small clusters. Consider applying an aquatic foliar herbicide for larger clusters after the purple flower reaches its peak bloom. Be aware that you risk killing non-target plants with any herbicide you use. You may also report Purple Loosestrife to the
Midwest Invasive Species Information Network
. How to save on homeowners’ insurance in Michigan
Not every invasive Michigan plant will disrupt or wreak havoc on your home, but that fire hazard of a plant, Phragmites, seems like reason enough to upgrade your
Michigan homeowners insurance
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