There are aggressive plants and there are invasive plants. When it comes to the woods behind my house I often say, "There is no such thing as an invasive. Only things that the deer eat, and things that they don't.", this is a joke of course. My arch enemy pachysandra is very aggressive.
In my mind for a plant to be labeled an invasive it needs to fill a few requirements that narrow the broad definition sometimes used. I think it better to understand why a plant or animal is reacting with its environment in this often negative way then to destroy it without understanding. Never start pulling plants before you know exactly what they are and why you are pulling them. It is much better to leave plants as they are then to destroy a fragile habitat.
"Invasive" is an idea created by humans. Plants only do what they were designed to do. Nature works with what is available. I clear pachysandra with the intention of introducing useful native plants, not to simply remove the former.
When you cut down a large vine that is growing on a tree you kill a wild habitat for animals. Say that vine was a wild grape, perfectly native but might smother the trees it grows on. This is nature and our intervention is not needed. So its attached to a large maple, in a forest filled with maples, all you are doing is using your feeble human mind to intercede nature who in due course knows what is right. Difficult decisions can't be made on a black and white basis. A vine that is known to strangle trees is killed there by solving the problem? Was there a problem or just the human thought of one. This course of action potentially creates another one.
Here I have made the distinction that pachysandra is an ornamental, non native, and properly aggressive. Planted for its tolerance of both sun and shade, it readily covers an area with poor soil. It is the uninformed gardeners ground cover, chosen because it stays green all winter long. Unfortunately pachysandra gains ground on all sides each year growing stronger and thicker. Imagine its exponential growth, from a two inch mat to four, then sixteen, thirty two, and it never dies back and grows thicker and more tangled.
Total destruction was never the intention, and is probably not possible. As much as I gave grown to dislike pachysandra it serves its purpose well. Holding the hillside up under deep shade is an admirable quality. If its progress can be stifled then other plants may have the chance to coexist. It is actually possible to plant a mature bush into it. After years without management the pachysandra has become too big to fail, I cut it and it will come back.
I have found no weakness that could be exploited to kill or even control pachsandra. The roots, doubling as stolons, grow long distances underground and pop up in any area that is suitable, conversely they will grow distances over ground, over rocks, roots anything that is in their way. Putting on leaves in these areas until they reach fertile soil again where again they root. Any small bit of plant matter left in the ground is bound to sprout again, making it that much more difficult to control. Burning is not ideal.
It is not enough to simply pull out the plant and hope that balance returns. When pulling the pachysandra I am cautious to not over compact the soil by walking on the ground that has been lightly tilled by the removal of roots. This procedure is sure to turn up seeds of other plants that have been waiting for their chance to germinate. In any case if native seeds can be obtained it is a good idea to give them a chance as well. I am lucky enough to have a lb. of northeastern wildflower seed mix from Seedland. You should follow their planting instructions, timing is of the essence. I recommend having the seeds ready before you start your project, you may have to put seed down more than once. You might even try broadcasting see before you start pulling. I wouldn't seed in the middle or end of summer, fall through early spring is optimal.
The battle rages on.
Update: January 19, 2013
With temperatures in the single digits I strolled outside and just happened to get the urge to kick some frozen Pachysandra. To my delight it broke off and smashed with the force of my boot. I went around kicking and stomping the beast all over the yard. I don't suspect that this has killed it, only weakened it.
In my mind for a plant to be labeled an invasive it needs to fill a few requirements that narrow the broad definition sometimes used. I think it better to understand why a plant or animal is reacting with its environment in this often negative way then to destroy it without understanding. Never start pulling plants before you know exactly what they are and why you are pulling them. It is much better to leave plants as they are then to destroy a fragile habitat.
- Non native- any plant that does not originate from the geographical region (must fill this requirement saving few exceptions) native plants do sometimes over populate
- Mat forming - chokes out all other plant life, alternatively a strangling vine that is is also wide spread and/or overly aggressive.
- Rhizome regeneration - a plant that regrows from the root or stolons, spreads rapidly makes removal difficult
- No competition (over competes)- other plants can't keep up and are overtaken, nothing eats it or keeps it in check i.e. hard frosts, herbivores, other plant species
- Prolific self seeding - Seeds carried by wind or birds can move ling distances and take over quickly
- Serves no ecological function - a parasite if you will on the natural order
- Is of no use to humans
"Invasive" is an idea created by humans. Plants only do what they were designed to do. Nature works with what is available. I clear pachysandra with the intention of introducing useful native plants, not to simply remove the former.
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| (right) Kill pachysandra on top of pachysandra? It is a good idea to cover the ground that you have exposed with at least a light mulch. Here you see one of my new beds terraced with a log and covered with leaves. This plot was seeded before the mulch was applied. |
When you cut down a large vine that is growing on a tree you kill a wild habitat for animals. Say that vine was a wild grape, perfectly native but might smother the trees it grows on. This is nature and our intervention is not needed. So its attached to a large maple, in a forest filled with maples, all you are doing is using your feeble human mind to intercede nature who in due course knows what is right. Difficult decisions can't be made on a black and white basis. A vine that is known to strangle trees is killed there by solving the problem? Was there a problem or just the human thought of one. This course of action potentially creates another one.
Here I have made the distinction that pachysandra is an ornamental, non native, and properly aggressive. Planted for its tolerance of both sun and shade, it readily covers an area with poor soil. It is the uninformed gardeners ground cover, chosen because it stays green all winter long. Unfortunately pachysandra gains ground on all sides each year growing stronger and thicker. Imagine its exponential growth, from a two inch mat to four, then sixteen, thirty two, and it never dies back and grows thicker and more tangled.
Total destruction was never the intention, and is probably not possible. As much as I gave grown to dislike pachysandra it serves its purpose well. Holding the hillside up under deep shade is an admirable quality. If its progress can be stifled then other plants may have the chance to coexist. It is actually possible to plant a mature bush into it. After years without management the pachysandra has become too big to fail, I cut it and it will come back.
 |
| the best place is on the street it dries it out. If you run it over with your car, even better |
 |
| burning pachysandra doesn't work too well |
I have found no weakness that could be exploited to kill or even control pachsandra. The roots, doubling as stolons, grow long distances underground and pop up in any area that is suitable, conversely they will grow distances over ground, over rocks, roots anything that is in their way. Putting on leaves in these areas until they reach fertile soil again where again they root. Any small bit of plant matter left in the ground is bound to sprout again, making it that much more difficult to control. Burning is not ideal.
It is not enough to simply pull out the plant and hope that balance returns. When pulling the pachysandra I am cautious to not over compact the soil by walking on the ground that has been lightly tilled by the removal of roots. This procedure is sure to turn up seeds of other plants that have been waiting for their chance to germinate. In any case if native seeds can be obtained it is a good idea to give them a chance as well. I am lucky enough to have a lb. of northeastern wildflower seed mix from Seedland. You should follow their planting instructions, timing is of the essence. I recommend having the seeds ready before you start your project, you may have to put seed down more than once. You might even try broadcasting see before you start pulling. I wouldn't seed in the middle or end of summer, fall through early spring is optimal.
The battle rages on.
Update: January 19, 2013
With temperatures in the single digits I strolled outside and just happened to get the urge to kick some frozen Pachysandra. To my delight it broke off and smashed with the force of my boot. I went around kicking and stomping the beast all over the yard. I don't suspect that this has killed it, only weakened it.
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