Guides

Identification

Field marks, timing and the checks that separate one species from another.

5 published

Removal

Method choices, timing, safety and disposal, written across species rather than for one plant.

10 published

Prevention

Stopping the next infestation: clean gear, careful disposal and site decisions.

1 published

Prevention

How to Dispose of Invasive Plants Safely

How to dispose of invasive plants: bag roots, tubers and seed heads, solarize the sealed bags, then trash them. Do not compost or send them to yard waste.

Removal

How to Get Rid of Garlic Mustard Before It Seeds

How to get rid of garlic mustard: pull before the seed pods form, bag every plant, and plan for years of follow-up from the seed bank.

Removal

How to Get Rid of Invasive Plants Without Chemicals

How to get rid of invasive plants without chemicals: pull, dig, cut on a schedule, smother or solarize. Where vinegar and boiling water fall short.

Removal

How to Get Rid of Invasive Plants: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to get rid of invasive plants: identify it, check state rules, choose a method by root type, dispose of every fragment, then monitor regrowth.

Removal

How to Get Rid of Lesser Celandine

How to get rid of lesser celandine: treat the green leaves in early spring, before it dies back. Dig only small patches, and never mow it.

Removal

How to Get Rid of Poison Hemlock Safely

How to get rid of poison hemlock safely: cover your skin, target first-year rosettes before they bolt, and bag every piece. Never burn it.

Removal

How to Kill Tree of Heaven and Stop the Suckers

How to kill tree of heaven: treat the standing tree from July to early fall, wait about 30 days, then cut. Cutting first invites root suckers.

Removal

How to Remove Bradford Pear and Callery Pear

How to remove Bradford pear and Callery pear: cut and treat the stump, pull seedlings, and replace the tree with a native species.

Removal

How to Remove Japanese Knotweed Without Spreading It

How to remove Japanese knotweed: treat the rhizome system over several seasons, cut before spraying, and contain every fragment.

Identification

Native vs Invasive Honeysuckle: The Hollow-Pith Test

Native vs invasive honeysuckle: cut a stem and look at the pith. Invasive shrub honeysuckles are hollow; native fly and bush honeysuckle are solid.

Removal

Spotted Lanternfly Eggs: How to Find, Scrape and Destroy Them

Spotted lanternfly egg masses look like gray putty, are laid September to December, and hatch late April to June. How to find, scrape and destroy them.

Identification

Spotted Lanternfly Look-Alikes: What Else It Could Be

Spotted lanternfly look alikes: at rest the gray, black-spotted wings sit roof-like over the back. Flat, wide wings mean a moth, not a lanternfly.

Identification

Spring Invasive Plants Checklist: What to Look For in March, April, May and June

Spring invasive plants checklist: what to look for and act on each month from March through June, with links to species and removal guides.

Identification

Tree of Heaven Bark: How to Identify It in Winter

Tree of heaven bark is pale gray and even, with no deep furrows. In winter, the stout twig, heart-shaped leaf scar and spongy pith settle it.

Identification

When Do Spotted Lanternflies Hatch? A Monthly Guide

When do spotted lanternflies hatch? In Pennsylvania, from late April through June; in New York and Massachusetts, mostly May and June. Hatching spans weeks.

Removal

When to Treat Invasive Plants: A Seasonal Calendar

Best time to spray invasive plants: late summer to early fall for woody plants and late-season perennials. Spring ephemerals need early spring instead.