Tis the season for holidays and winter outings! Whether you’re sourcing supplies for your next gift-making craft or enjoying a nice snowshoeing trip, you can help prevent the spread of invasive species with these simple tips. 

Do you like to display or make wreaths made of natural materials? Be careful not to use invasive bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) in your wreaths. This deciduous perennial woody vine is most recognizable by its bright red berries with yellow capsules that hold along the vine throughout the winter; not to be confused with the native American bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) which has red berries with reddish-orange-colored capsules that grow on the tips of the vine (see image below). 

Using invasive bittersweet berries on wreaths can become a pathway to its spread. Birds can pick the berries from wreaths exposed to the outdoors and spread them to new areas. Berries on wreaths discarded in a compost pile or other natural setting can grow new plants in the spring. Once established, invasive bittersweet grows thick woody vines that climb and wrap around tree trunks, girdling trees and eventually causing tree mortality. Dense populations of invasive bittersweet can shade out understory vegetation reducing plant diversity and growth. 

If you like to use natural materials to make wreaths, some native plants with winter berries that you could consider are winterberry (Ilex verticillata), American holly (Ilex opaca), Red Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia). If you display natural wreaths, place them behind a storm door so birds can’t get to them, and avoid throwing wreaths with berries in your compost pile.

You can learn more about invasive bittersweet and get management tips in this Protector’s Blog. Share a reel about this issue with your friends on Facebook or Instagram.

Species to watch for while enjoying winter walks!

Next time you hit the trails for a nice snowshoeing or cross-country skiing trip keep an eye out for two invasive species that you can spot even in the winter.  

Beech leaf disease (BLD) is a tree pathogen that deforms the leaves of beech trees reducing photosynthesis. BLD is believed to be caused by the nematode Litylenchus crenatae mccannii; it is unknown if the nematode causes all the damage or whether another pathogen such as a bacteria, fungus, or virus is associated.

BLD symptoms appear in the leaves including, striping, curling, or a leathery texture. These signs may be visible year-round, as some beech trees have marcescent leaves that remain on the tree throughout the winter.  The dark bands of BLD are most noticeable on the underside of leaves and you may see them by looking up into the canopy or holding leaves up to the light. 

If you think you have found beech leaf disease follow these steps: 

  1. Take a photo of the leaf or leaves showing symptoms; photos of leaves held up to the light or taken through the canopy, make it easier to identify BLD symptoms.
  2. Submit a report to iMapInvasives (mobile app or website). Beech leaf disease is listed as the nematode Litylenchus crenatae maccannii.
  3. If you can’t use iMapInvasives, you can email details to foresthealth@dec.ny.gov, or call the Forest Health Hotline at 1-866-640-0652.
Learn more about BLD
Photo of an American beech (Fagus grandifolia) leaf taken in the winter. The dark bands between the veins is caused by beech leaf disease and is a sign of its presence. Photo submitted to iMap with presence record #1467486.
Symptoms of beech leaf disease. Photo credit, NYS DEC.

Another invasive species you can look for in the wintertime is hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) (Tsuga canadensis), an invasive insect that threatens hemlock trees. In the wintertime, HWA forms a white woolly mass around its body making it easier to detect. Look for these masses on the underside of hemlock tree branches where the needle connects to the branch. 

If you think you have found hemlock wooly adelgid follow these steps: 

  1. Take close-up and clear photos of the white woolly masses. 
  2. Submit a report to iMapInvasives (mobile app or website).
  3. If you can’t use iMapInvasives, you can send a photo and the GPS coordinates to the SLELO PRISM Education and Outreach Coordinator at megan.pistolese@tnc.org. 
Get HWA Survey Tips and Training!

Virtual Toolboxes

Visit the Protector’s Virtual Toolboxes below to access resources themed for each category, and to learn more about how to protect your favorite outdoor spaces from invasive species. 

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