September Is Bittersweet Removal Month

By Kendra Bobowick

As summer days yield to September’s cooler nights and the sun drops below the horizon a bit earlier each evening, autumn colors seep into the leaves.

Also turning colors are the berries on the pretty, but invasive, bittersweet vine.

“There is bittersweet everywhere, twining around trees and people say, ‘It’s so pretty; it’s so nice!’ So, we want to educate,” said Conservation Commission member Marjorie Cramer. Residents should know that the yellow and red strands of berries often clipped and twisted into decorative wreaths, wrapped around candle bases as a Thanksgiving centerpiece, or strewn lazily across the fireplace mantel are really plants that need to be pulled out and removed from Newtown’s backyards and roadsides.

Easily recognizable, and beginning to bear its berries this time of year, Dr Cramer added, “It’s right there in front of you, and so destructive.” The fast-growing vine winds its way upward through native vegetation, choking out shrubbery and trees, or adding enough weight to topple other growth.

Bittersweet Removal Month

Adding the town’s support to invasive removal, First Selectman Pat Llodra has signed a proclamation naming September as Bittersweet Removal Month. The proclamation states: “The bittersweet vine is so viable at this time of year, and is terribly destructive to native trees and other plants.”

The documents continues, “Bittersweet is wreaking havoc on flora and there is an urgency to remove it.” Along with the Conservation Commission’s efforts to educate residents about problems associated with invasive plants, the proclamation also “promotes awareness of the devastating effects of bittersweet.”

Land Use Agency Director George Benson “obviously” supports the effort. Invasive mitigation is “part of what we do,” including aquatic weeds growing in local lakes and ponds, he said. Newtown Conservation Official Ann Astarita also works to cut back invasives, and has conducted worked on several projects targeting the fast-growing mile-a-minute vine specifically.

Several signs will soon be in place around town, reminding residents to watch for invasive species, especially bittersweet during September. A PowerPoint presentation is also available. Dr Cramer has offered to show the 20-minute program to anyone interested, saying it is concise and presents “good points of what to look for.”

Volunteers that wish to participate in plant removal, or those who want to learn more, can call Land Use at 203-270-4350 and ask for Ms Astarita.