Species of Jacobs Meadow's Journal

Garlic Mustard is a highly invasive plant in the United States and can be easily stopped. The plant has triangular, heart-shaped leaves with edges and a white flower that has 4 petals. Garlic Mustard was introduced to the United States in the 1800s from Europe as an herb to help control erosion. The species is considered invasive because it threatens the biodiversity of native ecosystems. The seeds are spread by wind and bloom earlier in the spring than most native plants. Due to their early bloom time, they block out the sunlight and take moisture and nutrients from the native seedlings. The species even inhibits trees from growing which reduces carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. More CO2 in the atmosphere speeds up climate change, which is an advantage to Garlic Mustard as it adapts faster than native plants. Also, Garlic Mustad roots release chemicals that alter the fungi networks that supply nutrients to native plants. Removal of the species is easy but takes time. To get rid of it manually, it is best to pull them out before they set seeds. If the species has seeds, the action of pulling them out will spread the seeds. The best time to pull the plant is after it has rained because it is easier to get the taproot. After removing the plant throw it away!! Do NOT compost the species!!!

source: https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/indiana/stories-in-indiana/garlic-mustard/

Japanese Knotweed is an invasive species to the New England area. The species is native to China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. It was initially introduced to the UK (the 1820s) as an ornamental plant and then to North America (Late nineteenth century). The shub-like plant measures 3-9 feet high with reddish-colored stems. The leaves alternate on the stems and have red-colored veins. The shrub produces blooms in the late summer that are small and a more green white. When removing Knotweed, it is crucial to remove it before it goes to seed, but it is ideal for removing it in its earliest stages. Knotweed is considered an invasive plant because when introduced to a nonnative habitat, it quickly crowds out the native species. Knotweed can tolerate a wide variety of temperatures, moisture, and solid pHs. This is the main reason it is taking over habitats. Removing Japanese Knotweed is not easy, but is worth it. The manual labor consists of digging up the roots and or cutting the stalks. If the cutting method is used, the three cuts are needed over the course of the growing season to offset seed production. When removing Knotweed after it had gone to seed, the best method of removing it placing a trash bag over the shrub, then cutting it at its base. The trash bag will help reduce the number of seeds spread during removal.

Source: https://www.in.gov/dnr/files/Japanese_Knotweed.pdf