Invasive And Banned In Connecticut

To the Editor:

Did you know that the purple flowering plant you see in and around the wetlands of Newtown is invasive and banned in Connecticut?

Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) has been designated by the State of Connecticut as an invasive plant. It was banned from commercial sale in Connecticut in 2005. Invasive nonnative plants, such as purple loosestrife, are a serious concern because they decrease native species and reduce biological diversity. One mature plant may have as many as 30 flowering stems capable of producing an estimated two to three million seeds per year.

Biological control is defined as the use of natural enemies (known as biological control agents or beneficial insects) to reduce a plant’s population.  “They are my little insect friends,” said Bernd Blossey, director of the Biological Control of Non-Indigenous Plant Species Program at Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Blossey has been rearing the leaf-feeding beetles for national distribution since 1993. 

Purple loosestrife is one invasive plant for which biological control agents (such as Galerucella) have been identified, tested, and released.  The feeding on the plants by the beetles significantly reduces purple loosestrife populations over time. In Connecticut, more than one million purple loosestrife biological control agents have been introduced into 90 Connecticut wetlands since 1996.     

As you would expect, Mother Nature dictates the timeline for this program, sponsored by the UConn Department of Plant Science. The major components of the program and its timeline are:                                

April, dig several purple loosestrife plants (used to harvest beetles);

May, collect beetles from a current release site;

June, farm the beetles;

July, release the beetles  

Newtown was devoid of this invasive plant for at least one hundred years. Purple loosestrife was introduced into the United States in 1814. During his lifetime, John Beach never saw it in Newtown. Realize that Judge William Edmond never saw it in Newtown during his tenure in Congress. And quite possibly it hadn’t yet invaded Newtown when Mary Hawley was a youngster.

To rid Newtown of this invasive plant and once again allow native plants and biological diversity to flourish in and around its wetlands is long overdue. Master Gardener candidates and volunteers at large can become “beetle farmers” and perform community efforts such as the one described here. The Master Gardener program is sponsored by the UConn Cooperative Extension System.

Pursuant to the above information, I am extremely pleased to report that the first-ever biological control agent release to rid purple loosestrife has been made in Newtown. The Newtown Forest Association (NFA) has taken the leadership role and consented to participate in this program. NFA members should be commended for their proactive approach to combat invasive plants and for their enthusiastic willingness to make a difference in Newtown. Thank you, NFA.

Sincerely,

Bob Merola

Master Gardener Candidate

22 Ashford Lane, Newtown                                              July 30, 2007