The warm winter is making it easier for invasive plants to grow, spread and thrive in 海角换妻 and across New England.
According to the 海角换妻 Invasive Plants Council, the state has more than , which can arrive from more southern states through bird migrations and the wind.
Bonnie Burr with UConn鈥檚 College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, said those invasive plants are thriving more because of warmer temperatures, sunlight and moisture.
鈥淲hen [the] growing season gets warmer, gets longer 鈥� that just gives our invasive plants a greater opportunity to expand,鈥� Burr said. 鈥淲e see them become much more dense in terms of how they infiltrate within our native plant populations.鈥�
Burr said her department is still seeing too many invasives that have not died off this season. She said curbing invasive plant growth requires temperatures dropping below freezing for at least 10 days.
But freezes have been hard to come by this year. Last month was and the , according to climate reports from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Randy Prostak, a University of Massachusetts Extension weed specialist, said the warmer weather could lead to longer growing seasons for invasive plants and cause them to spread more quickly.
鈥淭he bigger the plant gets, the healthier it gets, the more likely it鈥檚 going to be able to flower and produce more seed, which is going to drive that forward,鈥� Prostak said.
, according to the 海角换妻 Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG). The group has identified species like common reed and garlic mustard . Japanese honeysuckle and Japanese barberry are also among plants of concern, according to the CIPWG.
Invasive plants are benefiting tick populations
A said invasive plant species like Japanese barberry can give ticks an 鈥渦nnaturally beneficial鈥� habitat.
Dr. Megan Linske with the 海角换妻 Agricultural Experiment Station said she has seen how Japanese barberry is benefiting populations of deer ticks in the state.
鈥淚t tends to leaf out really early, capitalize on the sunshine and the warmth that comes with these warmer winters,鈥� Linske said, adding that it creates dense thickets that many tick species want to be in for a long time while seeking a host.
Burr, with UConn, said invasive plants easily acclimating to the warming climate raises a red flag.
鈥淚t鈥檚 their ability to get in and really create havoc,鈥� Burr said. 鈥淭hat really, really has us concerned about 鈥� how invasives are coming in and staying.鈥�
To report an invasive plant species sighting, the 海角换妻 Invasive Plant Working Group is asking people to email info@cipwg.org with photographs and details of the finding. More information is outlined .
