Tree-of-heaven is native to Asia but has been widely planted in North America and now spreads naturally as a serious invasive tree threat.
In this episode of ID That Tree, Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee identifies the invasive tree of heaven, also known as stinking sumac, due to the foul odor that permeates from nearly all parts of the tree. The alternately held compound leaves have teeth at the base of the leaflets on stout stems, while the bark is a medium gray with white wormy marks. This tree spreads through the seeds of its female trees and from suckers off its root system, and it is also the preferred host of an invasive insect, spotted lanternfly, now found in Indiana. Learning to recognize invasive pests a good first step to limiting their spread.
If you have any questions regarding wildlife, trees, forest management, wood products, natural resource planning or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.
Resources:
ID That Tree, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel (Invasive White Mulberry, Siberian Elm, Tree of Heaven)
Invasive Species Playlist, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel (Asian Bush Honeysuckle, Burning Bush, Callery Pear, Multiflora rose)
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel (Against Invasives, Garlic Mustard, Autumn Olive)
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel (Common Buckthorn, Japanese Barberry)
Report Invasive Species, Purdue Invasive Species
The GLEDN Phone App – The Center for Invasive Species & Ecosystem Health (Report Invasives)
EDDMaps – Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System (Report Invasives)
How long do seeds of the invasive tree, Ailanthus altissima remain viable? (Invasive Tree of Heaven), USDA Forest Service
Indiana Department of Natural Resources: Invasive Species
Indiana Invasive Species Council
Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA)
Aquatic Invasive Species, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG)
Episode 11 – Exploring the challenges of Invasive Species, Habitat University-Natural Resource University
What are invasive species and why should I care?, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Spotted Lanternfly Feeds on Over 70 Plus Plant Species, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
Lenny Farlee, Extension Forester
Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center
Purdue Department of Forestry & Natural Resources
Governor Eric Holcomb has proclaimed February 20th to February 26th as 2023 Invasive Species Awareness Week in Indiana.
This serves as an important reminder for Hoosiers to be aware and report potentially devastating invasives.
This proclamation states “invasive aquatic, riparian and terrestrial species influence the productivity, value and management of land and water resources in Indiana and the cost to prevent, monitor and control invasive species costs Indiana millions annually and after habitat destruction, invasive species are a great threat to biodiversity and threaten the survival of native plants and animals and interfere with ecosystem functions by changing processes like fire, nutrient flow and flooding”.
It continues with “invasive species impede industry, threaten agriculture, endanger human health and are becoming increasingly harder to control as a result of rapid global commercialization and human travel; and invasive species are as significant threat to almost half of the native species currently listed as federally endangered.”
As Invasive Species Awareness Week starts Monday, February 20th, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IN DNR), Purdue Extension-Forestry and Natural Resources and the Indiana Invasive Species Council will answer any questions you may have.
For Questions:
Ask an Expert, Purdue Extension-Forestry and Natural Resources
Invasive Species – Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
Indiana Invasive Species Council – Includes: IDNR, Purdue Department of Entomology and Professional Partners
Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA)
Report and Learn More About Invasive Species –
Great Lakes Early Detection Network App (GLEDN) – The Center for Invasive Species & Ecosystem Health
EDDMaps – Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System
Purdue University Report Invasive Species, College of Agriculture
Check Out Our Invasive Species Videos –
Subscribe: Purdue Extension-Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Invasive Species YouTube Video Playlist includes:
More Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube Video Series –
Woodland Management Moment:
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners:
ID That Tree:
More Resources –
FNR Extension Publications, The Education Store:
Purdue Landscape Report:
FNR Extension Got Nature? Blog:
Don’t Miss These Resources:
Episode 11 – Exploring the challenges of Invasive Species, Habitat University-Natural Resource University
What Are Invasive Species and Why Should I Care?, Purdue Extension-FNR Got Nature? Blog
Emerald Ash Borer Information Network, Purdue University and Partners
Aquatic Invasive Species, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG)
Invasive plants: impact on environment and people, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Purdue Extension-Forestry and Natural Resources
Invasive species are any plant, animal, insect or plant disease not native to a specific location that can cause harm to the environment, impact the diversity of native species, reduce wildlife habitat or disrupt important ecosystem functions.
Why should you care about invasive species? Invasive species limit land use, degrade natural resources and inhibit recreational pursuits such as hunting, fishing, bird watching, and foraging. They also negatively impact fisheries, agricultural and forestry industries, destabilize soil and alter water resources. Invasive species also out compete natives and are costly to control with estimates showing that the U.S. spends $137 billion/year to control/manage invasive species.
As spring approaches, many invasive plants will begin to leaf out in woodland areas. Spring is a good time to stop them in their tracks so they don’t overtake native plants, affect water availability or damage the quality of soil among other potential impacts.
Here are some resources to help you identify various invasive plants in woodland areas near you, to know when to report them and also what you can do help control their spread.
Videos on Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel, Invasive Species Playlist
More Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube Video Series –
Woodland Mangement Moment:
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners:
ID That Tree:
FNR Extension Publications, The Education Store:
Purdue Landscape Report:
FNR Extension Got Nature? Blog:
When and how do I report an invasive species?
The Purdue Invasive Species website will help you identify invasive species and explain how to send in your findings. If you notice something is killing an otherwise healthy stand of trees or shrubs, you will want to identify it and report it if it is on the invasive list. If you see a plant that is taking over an area where it doesn’t belong, you will want to identify it and report it if it is on the invasive list.
More Resources
Indiana Department of Natural Resources: Invasive Species
Indiana Invasive Species Council
Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA)
Aquatic Invasive Species, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG)
Episode 11 – Exploring the challenges of Invasive Species, Habitat University-Natural Resource University
Emerald Ash Borer Information Network, Purdue University and Partners
What Nurseries Need to Know About the Invasive Species Regulation, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Invasive plants: impact on environment and people, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Diana Evans, Extension and Web Communication Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
Lenny Farlee, Extension Forester
Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center
Purdue Department of Forestry & Natural Resources
Wild Bulletin, Indiana Department of Natural Resources: As you prepare your boat or recreational equipment to get back on the water this spring, remember to look for aquatic hitchhikers. Zebra mussels, aquatic plants like Eurasian watermilfoil or starry stonewort, and many other invasive species continue to be a threat to Indiana’s waters by degrading fish habitat and negatively affecting recreational boating and fishing. The most common locations where plants, mussels, and animals hitch a ride include:
Boat owners are asked to drain water from bait buckets, live wells, and boats before leaving the boat landing; leave drain plugs out while travelling on land; clean and dry anything that came in contact with water; and dispose of unwanted bait in the trash. Learn more about aquatic invasive species and how to prevent their movement.
Learn how to stop aquatic hitchhikers.
Find more information about aquatic invasive plants and aquatic invasive invertebrates. Subscribe and receive the Wild Bulletin, Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
Resources:
Invasive plants: Impact on Environment and People, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR)
Aquatic Invasive Species in the Great Lakes: The Quagga Mussel, Purdue Extension – FNR
Lampreys, Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Animal Informational Series
Aquatic Invaders in the Marketplace, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG)
Great Lakes Sea Grant Network (GLERL), NOAA – Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
A Field Guide to Fish Invaders of the Great Lake Regions, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG)
Purdue Researchers Get to the Bottom of Another Quagga Mussel Impact, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG)
Protect Your Waters, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service & U.S. Coast Guard
Nongame and Endangered Wildlife, Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources’ extension efforts over the past two years amidst the COVID-19 pandemic were recognized in the Purdue Extension Specialist Quarterly newsletter (pdf).
The transition to virtual content brought expertise across subject matter areas, ranging from forestry and wildlife, to aquatic sciences and entomology, to the masses in the form of several video series which collectively earned nearly 150,000 views.
The FNR Extension team included: Jay Beugly, Jarred Brooke, Nick Burgmeier, Barny Dunning, Diana Evans, Lenny Farlee, Jason Hoverman, Liz Jackson, Brian MacGowan, Patrick McGovern, Wendy Mayer, Charlotte Owings, Lindsey Purcell, Bee Redfield, Shelby Royal, Bob Rode, Kara Salazar, Mike Saunders, Amy Shambach, Rod Williams, Mitch Zischke, as well as frequent Entomology contributors: Elizabeth Barnes, Cliff Sadof.
The feature in the fourth quarter newsletter begins:
“While Covid caused limitations on travel and in-person events nationwide, across Indiana, many were spending more time in outdoor recreational activities, hiking, bird-watching, hunting and fishing, or managing natural resources properties. Adjusting to the pandemic, the FNR team created an innovative and team-oriented instruction approach through skill-building in video production with coordinated connection and crosspromotion of resources.
“Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) faculty, specialists, staff, and students, with invited partners across research and Extension, delivered 45-minute Ask an Expert Facebook Live programs for 35 weeks. Programs covered many FNR specialties: Animals & Insects (bats, bird, cicadas, coyotes, deer, fish, frogs, hellbenders, moles, pollinators, salamanders, snakes, toads, turtles, and wood pests); Plants & Ecosystems (invasive plant species, hardwood ecosystems, native grasses for wildlife, conservation tree planting, rainscaping, fall food plots, and selecting, planting and inspecting trees); and Management & Operations (prescribed fires, aquatic plant and pond management, and fish and wildlife management).
Read the full Purdue Extension Specialist Quarterly Highlight (pdf).
Resources:
Ask An Expert Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
ID That Tree Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
A Woodland Management Moment Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Wildlife Habitat Hint Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Subscribe to the Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel
Wendy Mayer, FNR Communications Coordinator
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
Diana Evans, Extension and Web Communication Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
Led by Kyle Daniel, nursery and landscape outreach specialist in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, the Purdue Landscape Report is a collaborative effort between Purdue Extension specialists and diagnosticians in the departments of Botany and Plant Pathology, Entomology, Forestry and Natural Resources, and Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. Articles cover everything from urban forestry and tree maintenance to pest and disease problems and management to plant selection and turf science. In addition to an email newsletter and online blog, PLR staff also provide live interactive webinars in order to highlight content and respond to questions from the audience.
In response to the pandemic, the Purdue Landscape Report staff also began a live, to addresses articles and hot topics. That series garnered more than 2,000 views.
In a January 2021 survey sent to PLR subscribers, 88% of respondents said they believed that the newsletter improved their ability to diagnose a problem, while 76% said that PLR has had a positive economic impact on their business.
A local professional shared that “Sometimes when I open up the PLR, it is like you have been reading my mind. The problem I have been seeing or thinking about is there in your headlines.”
One PLR subscriber said “The Purdue Landscape Report is a great resource for myself and my team members. Within each issue is one or more topics that our team has encountered or discussed recently and the information provided by a very reputable source gives us the material needed to provide the best service to our clients and increase our knowledge base. The virtual sessions are another great resource provided that give an opportunity to have specific questions answered by experts.”
The impact extends from landowners to industry professionals and beyond.
“Often we take for granted the information produced in the PLR and we forget the countless dollars we have saved from information in the PLR,” said Rick Haggard, Indiana Nursery and Landscape Association Executive Director.
“The Purdue Landscape Report provides timely information to the Indiana Arborist Association members and associated parties in a format that is easily accessed and understood,” Associate Executive Director of IAA Ashley Mulis said. “The collaboration that goes into providing this product demonstrates the cohesive nature of several departments within Purdue University and the open sharing and comparison of information. The Purdue Landscape Report is an excellent addition to the many publications offered within Purdue Extension in helping resource professionals manage the ever-changing landscape of pests, diseases and best management practices.”
Resources:
In this episode of A Woodland Management Moment, Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee talks about a variety of hand tools you can use to assist with invasive species control and timber stand improvement on your property if you choose not to use power tools.
If you have any questions regarding trees, forests, wildlife, wood products or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.
Resources:
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
ID That Tree, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners Video Series, Playlist, Indiana Department of Natural Resources YouTube Channel
Lenny Farlee, Sustaining Hardwood Extension Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
In this episode of A Woodland Management Moment, Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee talks about the process of invasive species control in woodland areas from the combination of various treatments methods to the timing of those treatments.
If you have any questions regarding trees, forests, wildlife, wood products or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.
Resources:
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) Youtube Channel
Invasive Species, FNR Playlist
Indiana Invasive Species Council
Report Invasive, Purdue Extension
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners: Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) -helping with invasive species
Invasive plants: impact on environment and people, The Education Store
What are invasive species and why should I care?, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension
Woodland Invaders, Got Nature? Blog
Lenny Farlee, Sustaining Hardwood Extension Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
The swallow-worts (also called dogstrangling vine) are perennial, herbaceous, twining vines. The two species of principal concern in North America are black and pale swallow-wort. Black swallowwort is native to southwest Europe; pale swallow-wort is native to Ukraine and parts of Russia. Both were introduced to North America in the 1800s as potential ornamental plants.
Although swallow-worts are not yet well established in Indiana, their vines are highly invasive and grow vigorously, quickly twining around, and will climb anything nearby such as trees and shrubs or even man-made structures. This can overwhelm nearby plants by physically shading them, weighing them down, causing stem breakage, and forcing them to compete for moisture and nutrients.
At the time of writing, nine counties in central and northern Indiana reported small populations of black swallow-wort ranging in size from 10 square feet to 2,500 square feet of the infested area. Along Indiana’s border, two Michigan counties and the Chicago area report significant populations of black swallow-wort. No records of pale swallow-wort have been reported for Indiana. Two Michigan counties bordering northern Indiana and a central Illinois county are the nearest reported populations of pale swallow-wort.
This publication, Invasive Plant Series: Swallow-worts, aids in identifying these swallow-worts and provides management recommendations focused on prevention of spread, early detection, and properly timed and targeted control measures.
Resources:
Invasive Species, Playlist, Purdue Extension YouTube Channel
Invasive Plants Threaten Our Forests Part 1: Invasive Plant Species Identification, Webinar, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel
Invasive Plants Threaten Our Forests Part 2: Control and Management, Webinar, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Indiana Invasive Species Council
Report Invasive, Purdue Extension
Invasive plants: impact on environment and people, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Invasive Plant Species Fact Sheets: Poison Hemlock, The Education Store
What are invasive species and why should I care?, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources
Ronald Rathfon, Regional Extension Forester Southern Indiana Purdue Agriculture Center (SIPAC)
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
In this episode of A Woodland Management Moment, Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee shares about some of the spring ephemeral plants, as well as shrubs, trees and even invasive species you may find in the forest understory.
If you have any questions regarding trees, forests, wildlife, wood products or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.
Resources:
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
ID That Tree, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Invasive Species, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Garlic Mustard, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Invasive plants: impact on environment and people, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
Woodland Invaders, Got Nature? Blog
Resources and Assistance Available for Planting Hardwood Seedlings, The Education Store
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners Video Series, Playlist, Indiana Department of Natural Resources YouTube Channel
Lenny Farlee, Sustaining Hardwood Extension Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources