How big is your invasive species footprint, does that really big shoe fit?
Invasive garlic mustard, a garden green gone wild
Human habitats, indoors and outdoors, are being invaded by aliens, alien plants and animals from overseas. Many foreign plants and animals are introduced to human habitats in North America, intentionally and unintentionally. Many become established and spread aggressively, these are invasive species.
Beyond Turf™ helps clients shrink their invasive species footprint, we
manage your landscape invaders.
Invasive species out compete local native plant and animal species. A common example in central Ohio, garlic mustard was introduced to North America long ago as a garden green. It remains popular among herb and greens gardeners today. Garlic mustard has spread from abandoned gardens for more than a Century and has claimed thousands of acres woodlands, bottomlands, and field margins.
Garlic mustard and other aggressive exotic plants out compete colorful native spring wildflowers of many kinds.
Garlic mustard’s invasive success is attributed to allelopathy; the release of chemicals that suppress growth of other plants. Garlic mustard releases AITC (allyl isothiocyanate) into the soil. AITC reduces uptake of soil resources by disrupting beneficial arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) associated with native plant roots. AMF increases micronutrient mineral uptake at least five fold and doubles the uptake of water in forest plants.
Invasive plants like garlic mustard reduce our enjoyment of our landscapes, Beyond Turf™. We help clients keep plants in their place.