Have you seen this plant - Leatherleaf Mahonia?

Last week, I led a weed removal work day for folks from the Marriott Corporation.  We worked off of Little Falls Parkway and got a lot done.  (See our Facebook page for pictures).  I was working with Frank Sanford, another weed warrior supervisor, and we came across a plant neither of us knew - pretty holly like plant with really flat compound leaves.   Yesterday, with the help of another weed warrior, I IDed it.  It's Leatherleaf Mahonia  and wouldn't you know it - there's an invasive alert out for it from the National Park Service.  It's been identified as a potential threat in Montgomery County and other parts of Maryland.

This just points to why we need to keep focusing on natives.  We never know when a perfectly good landscaping plant will go rogue.  This was the case for non-native bush honeysuckle.  It was a great landscaping plant for some 80 years until the climate changed, or something changed and it escaped into the forest where it has taken over. 

Hopefully we can nip a full scale invasion of Leatherleaf Mahonia in the bud (so to speak).  So much work to do!

A Meadow for Norwood Park!

The vines are gone, the bush honeysuckle has been cut back and a meadow is coming to Norwood Park. Little Falls Watershed Alliance is partnering with Montgomery Parks to restore a meadow below the soccer fields at the west end of the park.

Dozens of volunteers have spent 100s of hours cleaning out bush honeysuckle, porcelainberry vines, multi-flora rose and other invasive non-native plants.  All their hard work has paid off  as the debris will be removed, the land tilled and replanted with native flowers and shrubs.

Work will begin in late May or early June to clear the piles of logs and other debris.  Community planting days are planned for the fall and spring of 2015.

Thank you to Whole Foods whose generous donation made this possible.

 A Meadow for Norwood Park:  Imagine all this debris removed and wildflowers blooming in their spot.   Work will start in late May and June with community planting days planned for the fall of 2014 and Spring 2015.