Invasive Species

Invasive Species Information

Phragmites Update

Several property owners were notified of the identification of Phragmites on their property. A contract has been signed with Jason Wilke for the treatment of these stands. The cost will shared between the township and the property owner. The property owner pays the first $50.00 and the remainder is split 50-50 between the property owner and the township. The county is also beginning the process of treating along the roads. Hopefully we will see some evidence of their work on the stands along TT and T.

To see the activities and the most recent newsletter of the Door County Invasive Species Team (DCIST) click here.

Previous Update:

The recent passage of the Noxious Weed (Invasive Species) ordinance in Sevastopol last year created a need to first identify where in the township there are problems. An important weed that threatens the biodiversity on Glidden Drive and first to be targeted was Phragmites. A call for volunteers to walk the drive looking for the weed resulted in 13 of our neighbors responding. We found only one small patch on a property on the South end of the drive and the GPS coordinates for that patch were sent to the Door County Invasive Species team (DCIST).

This will be a yearly activity and you will be informed when we become aware of the next steps. A big thank you to the following folks who participated this year: Ward and Judy Cramer, John and Eilene Hoft-March, Tad and Deb Greene, Nancy Goldberg, Gary and Jo Ann Henger, Sue Knight, Rocco and Donna Pawlowski, and Amy Phmister.

Invasive species ordinance passes in Sevastopol.

On 12/19/2-16, the town board passed an ordinance regulating noxious weeds and terrestrial invasive plants. To read the ordinance, please CLICK HERE . The most critical terrestrial invasive plant to threaten our diverse ecosystem on Glidden drive is Phragmites. The first step beginning in spring will be to identify stands of the plant and notify the appropriate person. If plants are found on private property, the homeowner will be notified. If it is part of the preserved land surrounding us, the town will notify the appropriate agency.

We have several neighbors who are knowledgeable in Phragmites identification. Stay tuned as I will be working with Supervisor Chuck Tice on this initiative. Anyone who is interested in working on plant identification on Glidden Drive and beyond in the town of Sevastopol in the spring, please let me know.

Nancy Goldberg

Phragmites, Japanese Knotweed and Wild Parsnip

Update from the presentation at the Annual meeting July 16, 2016:

I attended the Sevastopol board meeting on Tuesday July 19^th where continued discussion from their last month’s meeting on the potential for an ordinance to prevent the spread of at least three noxious weeds – Phragmites, Japanese Knotweed and Wild Parsnip. An ordinance would put the responsibility on homeowners to remove any of these weeds to prevent infestation in Sevastopol. No action was taken, but it appears that this will be a continued agenda item as most board members expressed concern about the spread of noxious weeds in Sevastopol. I suspect an ordinance similar to that in Jacksonport will be coming ‘soon’.

At that meeting I spoke to Kirsta Lutzke who works with Kari at the Invasive Species office. They are more than willing to work with homeowners to identify any of these plants on properties. They also have the names of certified aquatic herbicide applicators. Presently, on Glidden Drive our biggest concern is the Phragmites. In a presentation by Krista, she showed a map that identified a stand on Glidden somewhere north of us.

Please see file at the bottom of this page for full Phragmites Power Point presentation that was shown at the GDA Annual Meeting.

Any questions about this topic, please contact Nancy Goldberg.

Garlic Mustard

Garlic Mustard has been making inroads in Door County. It has definitely been seen along Glidden Drive. This is a species that we should be concerned about and take steps to eradicate it.

It is recognized as a herbaceous biennial with stems 2-4’ tall. First-year plants form a basal rosette that remains green through the winter. Second-year plants produce one to several flowering stems.

Ecological Threat:

• Invades high quality upland and floodplain forests (that
• would be us) as well as disturbed areas, such as yards and roadsides. It is sometimes found in full sun, though most often grows in areas with some shade, and does not do well in acidic soils.
• Native herbaceous cover has been shown to decline at sites invaded by garlic mustard. Whole forests can be taken over by garlic mustard.
• Garlic mustard exudes antifungal chemicals into the soil that disrupt associations between mycorrhizal fungi and native plants, suppressing native plant growth.
• Leaves: First year plants have basal leaves that are dark green, heart or kidney-shaped, with scalloped-edges and wrinkled appearance. On second year plants, stem leaves on flowering plants are alternate, triangular, with large teeth, and up to 2-3” across. Leaves and stems smell like garlic when crushed.

Removal

Pulling or cutting the root from the stem before flowering are effective individual plant control techniques. Pull if soil conditions allow for the removal of the taproot. Pulling second- year plants is easier than pulling first-year rosettes. Alternately, cut the entire taproot with a sharp shovel or spade 1–2” below the surface. If flowers are present, bag material and dispose of it in a landfill to avoid potential for seed spread. Mowing appears to help control but may not eradicate the plant.

Chemical Removal

Roundup (Glyphosate) applied to rosettes in fall or spring or to flowering plants has a 90-100% in season success, but seedlings may still emerge following spring.

Questions: Email the Door County Invasive Species Team: dcisti@gmail.com or call: 746-5955

Description for Identifying in the Field

Flowers: Small, white, 4-petaled, and abundant. Bloom throughout the spring.

Fruits & seeds: Seed pods are long (1-2 1⁄2)”, slender capsules (siliques) green in color, drying to pale brown. Seeds remain viable in the soil for at least 7 years.