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# Maryland Invasive Species Council

## Sitemaps

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## Posts

- [Fur real, this pest can kill animals!](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/fur-real-this-pest-can-kill-animals/) - Importance to Maryland - Mouse barley (Hordeum murinum ssp. leporinum), also known as wall barley or hare barley, is an invasive grass that is new to the Eastern United States. The ripe seeds of mouse barley catch on to the fur of passing animals, and then, as the awns and barbs wear down over time,
- [July 20, 2023](https://mdinvasives.org/meeting-minutes/july-20-2023/) - 2023 July 20 MISC MinutesDownload
- [October 19, 2023](https://mdinvasives.org/meeting-minutes/october-19-2023/) - 2023 October 19 MISC MinutesDownload
- [January 18, 2024](https://mdinvasives.org/meeting-minutes/january-18-2024/) - 2024 January 18 MISC MinutesDownload
- [April 18, 2024](https://mdinvasives.org/meeting-minutes/april-18-2024/) - 2024 April 18 MISC MinutesDownload
- [July 18, 2024](https://mdinvasives.org/meeting-minutes/meeting-minutes-july-18-2024/) - 2024 July 18 MISC MinutesDownload
- [MISC Meeting - January 16, 2025](https://mdinvasives.org/announcements/misc-meeting-january-16-2025/) - Location : Google MeetThursday, January 16 · 9:30am – 12:00pmTime zone: America/New YorkGoogle Meet joining infoVideo call link: https://meet.google.com/hgz-hjhc-qxrOr dial: ‪(US) +1 608-856-4367‬ PIN: ‪581 802 715‬#More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/hgz-hjhc-qxr?pin=1225211427131 Agenda: 2025 January 16 AgendaDownload MISC meetings are open to the public. Next meeting: April 17, 2025Location: Dept. of Natural Resources Headquarters, 580 Taylor Ave,
- [Palmer Amaranth: The Most Obnoxious Noxious Weed in Maryland](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/palmer-amaranth-the-most-obnoxious-noxious-weed-in-maryland/) - The Concern Palmer amaranth was first discovered in Maryland during the mid-twentieth century, but wasn’t added to the Maryland Noxious Weed Law until 2020. This law prohibits the import and transport of the noxious weed throughout the state and requires infested lands be managed for the eradication of the species. Palmer amaranth is problematic for
- [Watch out for Creepers on your Crapemyrtle!](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/watch-out-for-creepers-on-your-crapemyrtle/) - Be on the look out for Crapemyrtle bark scale in Maryland. A new pest of Crapemyrtle, soybeans and beautyberry. Invader of the Month Maryland Invasive Species Council Watch out for Creepers on your Crapemyrtle!
- [<strong>We are legion, we are lanternfly</strong>](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/we-are-legion-we-are-lanternfly/) - By Kenton Sumter - Maryland Department of Agriculture. It’s been more than four years since spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) made its way into the Maryland Invasive Species Council’s Invader of the Month. While some folks may have lost track of it, this pernicious insect has unfortunately been very busy. From its original discovery in Cecil
- [Unravelling Maryland's Knotweed Problem, One Psyllid at a Time](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/unravelling-marylands-knotweed-problem-one-psyllid-at-a-time/) - This spring, the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) has begun to raise the knotweed psyllid, Aphalara itadori, for eventual release on knotweed (Fallopia spp) plants in Maryland. The first 500 psyllids arrived in April from colleagues at the Philip Alampi Beneficial Insect lab, the New Jersey state facility, and became the start of the Maryland
- [Don't Jump to Conclusions about Asian Jumpseed](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/may-2022/) - Asian jumpseed – Persicaria filiformis | May 14, 2022 | Maryland Invasive Species Council Contacts: Judy Fulton, EcoPlant Consulting, judy@ecoplantconsulting.com | Sara Tangren, National Capital PRISM Asian jumpseed cultivars are often sold or traded as plants native to Maryland. Plant enthusiasts frequently mistake this foreign interloper for a native due to a history of taxonomic
- [Eat Your Carrots, Just Not This One](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/eat-your-carrots-just-not-this-one/) - Conium maculatum (Poison Hemlock) Natasha Shangold, City of Rockville nshangold@rockvillemd.gov As we are in the midst of summer, many of us enjoy planting a garden full of fresh veggies and herbs for ourselves and perhaps pollinators, or some of us may even enjoy foraging around. To those who are familiar with the Apiaceae family, these
- [Take the Bait…don’t dump it!](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/june-2021/) - Jay Kilian, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Resource Assessment Attention anglers! What lies in your bait bucket has the potential to damage Maryland’s waters and the quality of your most prized fishing hole. Your favorite type of bait may help you catch a big fish, but it may also be an invasive species. Rusty crayfish,Jay Kilian, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Resource Assessment Attention anglers! What lies in your bait bucket has the potential to damage Maryland’s waters and the quality of your most prized fishing hole. Your favorite type of bait may help you catch a big fish, but it may also be an invasive species. Rusty crayfish,
- [Colossal Catfish Cause Conservation Complications](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/may-2020/) - Contributor: Tyler McKee, MD Department of Natural Resources We may be under a stay-at-home order, but the natural world is on the move as spring comes into full swing. Unfortunately, that includes invasive species. One invasive threat, that has been on the move in Chesapeake watershed since the 1960s, is invasive catfish. Sightings and catch
- [Deceptive little buttercup is foe, not friend](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/march-2020/) - Contributor: Deborah Landau, The Nature Conservancy, MD/DC chapter, dlandau@tnc.org As temperatures begin to rise and we start looking for signs of spring, don’t be fooled by these little yellow beauties as you stroll through the woods looking for wildflowers. Lesser celandine (Ficaria verna), is a member of the buttercup family and more commonly known as
- [The Sign of the Times are the Vines](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/oct-2019/) - Contributor: Bud Reaves Invasive vines are colorful and decorative plants that are often used for ornamental purposes for their showy flowers and colorful, sometimes uniquely shaped fruit. They have a downside however, as many invade forested habitats where they can severely limit the growth of, or even kill, trees and shrubs. Fall is a great
- [The visible invisible: impacts of invasive jumping worms](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/nov-2019/) - Contributor: Annise Dobson Many of us have grown up thinking that earthworms are a sign of healthy, fertile soil. However, many earthworms found throughout Maryland are not native. Earthworms can be beneficial in their native ecosystems and agricultural settings, but their ability to re-engineer soil can completely restructure ecosystems and the microbial, plant, arthropod and
- ["New Leaf Disease is a Beech"](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/feb-2020/) - Contributor: Tyler McKee With smooth grey bark and bronze leaves lasting deep into winter, the American beech (Fagus grandifolia), is a popular and easily recognizable tree in the eastern forest. It is an ecologically important tree, as it is one of the lone hard mast producers and a climax species of the northern hardwood forest.
- [MISC Meeting - January 16, 2020](https://mdinvasives.org/announcements/misc-meeting-january-16-2020/) - Maryland Invasive Species Council – Next Meeting Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020 | 9:30 AM to 12 PM LOCATION:Maryland Department of Agriculture 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway Annapolis, MD 21401 Click Here for Directions to MDA Follow signs to Visitor Parking. Walk in through main entrance, visitors must check in at the security desk. AGENDA – Scroll
- [CANCELED: MISC Meeting - November 21, 2019](https://mdinvasives.org/announcements/canceled-misc-meeting-nov-21-2019/) - CANCELED: Maryland Invasive Species Council – November Meeting Cancellation Reason: No MDA room available. CANCELED: Thursday, November 21,2019 | 9:30 AM to 12 PM LOCATION: Maryland Department of Agriculture 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway Annapolis, MD 21401 Click Here for Directions to MDA Follow signs to Visitor Parking. Walk in through main entrance, visitors must check
- [Thousand Cankers Disease Reappears in Maryland](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/aug-2019/) - Contributor: Dr. Ramesh R. Pokharel, Plant Disease Specialist, Maryland Department of Agriculture, Ramesh.pokharel@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (August, 2019) - Thousand cankers disease (TCD) is a complex problem in walnuts, Juglans spp., caused by the fungus Geosmithia morbida and transmitted by walnut twig beetle (WTB), Pityophthorus juglandis. The beetles tunnel under tree bark and introduce the fungus,
- [Teaming up to Tackle Two-horned Trapa: A Highly Invasive New Species of Water Chestnut](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/july-2019/) - ANNAPOLIS, MD (July 1, 2019) – Eurasian water chestnut (Trapa natans) has been present in the United States since the 1880s and is a well-known invasive species. In 2014, a new introduction of a relative of T. natans was discovered in northern Virginia. It was recognized as new by fruits that have 2 horns in
- [MISC Meeting - July 18, 2019](https://mdinvasives.org/announcements/misc-meeting-july-18-2019/) - Maryland Invasive Species Council – Next Meeting Thursday, July 18 2019 | 9:30 AM to 12 PM LOCATION: Agricultural History Farm Park18410 Muncaster Road, Derwood, MD 20855 MISC meetings are open to the public. Remaining scheduled MISC meetings in 2019: September 19, 2019 - field trip meeting. November 21, 2019 - last meeting of 2019. AGENDA –
- [Pray for the prey of the praying mantis](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/june-2019/) - Contributor: Bud Reaves, Anne Arundel Forestry Board Mantises are one of the most ferocious predators in the animal kingdom. Able to capture and kill prey much larger than themselves, they have adapted into efficient, ruthless hunters and are valuable in the control of insect pests. However, Maryland has three species of exotic mantises, which may
- [MISC Meeting - May 16, 2019](https://mdinvasives.org/announcements/misc-meeting-march-16-2019/) - THURSDAY, MAY 16 2019, 9:30 AM - 12 PM Beltsville Agricultural Research Center Building 005/Room 20 Beltsville, MD 20705 (This is NOT the Agricultural Library where we have met in the past) Please let us know if you might be attending. Send an email to Lane.Heimer@maryland.gov and ask to add your name to the visitors
- [Toil and Trouble: Weed Risk Assessment](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/april-2019/) - Contributors: Kerrie Kyde and Sylvan KaufmanFor more information, contact: MD Department of Agriculture- Plant Protection and Weed Management, ppwm.mda@maryland.gov Over the course of two days in early March, 30 volunteers toiled, argued, and persevered through the process of assessing three different plant species for invasiveness. They dug up peer-reviewed papers, unearthed state government reports, scrolled
- [MISC Meeting - March 21, 2019](https://mdinvasives.org/announcements/misc-meeting-march-21-2019/) - Thursday, March 21 2019 | 9:30 AM to 12 PM National Agricultural Library Abraham Lincoln Building 10301 Baltimore Avenue Beltsville, MD 20705 MISC meetings are open to the public. From Lane Heimer, MISC Facilitator: The March 21, 2019 Meeting will be held at the National Agricultural Library in Beltsville, MD and have the same speakers and
- [CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER: MISC Meeting - November 15, 2018](https://mdinvasives.org/announcements/misc-meeting-nov-15-2018/) - CANCELED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER Thursday, November 15 2018 | 9:30 AM to 12 PM National Agricultural Library Abraham Lincoln Building 10301 Baltimore Avenue Beltsville, MD 20705 MISC meetings are open to the public. Please let us know if you might be attending. Send an email to Lane.Heimer@maryland.gov and ask to add your name to
- [Invasive Vinca, Rhymes with “Stinka”](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/jan-2019/) - Contributor: Jil Swearingen, Invasive Species Consultant, jilswearingen@gmail.com While there are a number of native evergreen groundcovers in Maryland, you’re likely to see large patches of non-native evergreen plants covering the ground this time of year in our parks and natural areas. Most common among these are English ivy (Hedera helix), winter creeper (Euonymus fortunei), ground ivy
- [Tiny beetle, giant impact.](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/march-2019/) - Contributor: Aaron Shurtleff, Maryland Department of Agriculture, Aaron.Shurtleff@maryland.gov The khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium) is a small beetle in the family Dermestidae. It feeds on a wide variety of dried plant and animal products, but its main target is stored grains, such as rice, wheat, and barley. Khapra beetle is one of the most destructive pests
- ['Tis the Season to Fear Holly](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/dec-2018/) - Contributor: Michael Ellis, M-MCPPC Park Ranger Office, Michael.Ellis@pgparks.com With winter weather and the holiday season here, Maryland's deciduous forests have lost their leaves, leaving evergreens strikingly bright and colorful in otherwise dormant landscapes. However, some evergreen plants now found in Maryland may be non-native invasive species. Since hollies are a celebrated symbol of December and the
- [MISC Meeting - January 17, 2019](https://mdinvasives.org/announcements/misc-meeting-jan-17-2019/) - Maryland Invasive Species Council – Next Meeting Thursday, January 17 2019 | 9:30 AM to 12 PM LOCATION: Agricultural History Farm Park18410 Muncaster Road, Derwood, MD 20855 Due to the continued partial government shutdown, our scheduled speaker for this Thursday's meeting will be unable to attend. MISC meetings are open to the public. AGENDA – Download Here
- [Wisteria: Criteria for Deliria?!](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/march-2016/) - Contact: Michael Ellis, M-MCPPC | michael.ellis@pgparks.com ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 01, 2016) - Spring is nearly here! Landscapes across Maryland will be covered in beautiful blooms of all kinds. But invasive wisteria species really take that concept to the next level, climbing to the tops of some of Maryland's tallest trees, smothering and choking out other
- [Safeguarding American Agriculture – One State at a Time](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/nov-2018/) - Contributor: Matthew A. Travis, State Plant Health Director MD/DC, USDA APHIS Every day, goods enter our country from all over the world. With these goods come non-native species that could be the next big invader. Few of us see the behind-the-scenes actions taken by agencies such as the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to stop these
- [Nitrogen Fixer Fixin’ For Trouble](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/aug-2018/) - Contact: Francis Smith, Maryland Department of Natural Resources- Forest Service | francis.smith@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS MD (August 1, 2018) - Prolific seed production. Rapid re-sprouting. Highly adaptable. Three traits of a very successful plant, and also what makes autumn olive an ecological nightmare. As summer winds down and fall creeps in, the red berries of this invasive shrub will
- [Spotted Lanternfly and Tree of Heaven](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/sept-2018/) - Contributors: Shelley Brunelle | MDOT State Highway Administration, Office of Environmental Design, Consultant for Landscape Operations DivisionKimberly Rice | Maryland Department of Agriculture, Plant Protection & Weed Management Program Manager | DontBug.MD@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (September 1, 2018) – Spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula is an invasive plant-hopping insect that feeds on a wide variety of tree
- [Stop the Hitchhikers: Clean Your Gear](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/july-2018/) - Contact: Jay Kilian, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Resource Assessment Service | 410-260-8617 ANNAPOLIS, MD (July 1, 2018) Summer is here and adventures await you on Chesapeake Bay and in Maryland’s beautiful streams, rivers, and lakes. As you get out your waders, boats and fishing gear, keep in mind that your actions, or inaction, can
- [A Wavyleaf Wannabe](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/sept-2017/) - Contact Marc Imlay: ialm@erols.com | Written by Marc Imlay and Kerrie Kyde. ANNAPOLIS, MD (September 01, 2017) - In the last days of summer, walking in the lawn in your bare feet, you may encounter small carpetgrass, Arthraxon hispidus. Also known as hairy joint grass, jointhead, and occasionally referred to as small carpgrass, this Asian annual has
- [Misgivings over Miscanthus](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/nov-2017/) - Contact: Michael Ellis, M-NCPPC | Michael.Ellis@pgparks.com | Written by Kerrie Kyde. ANNAPOLIS, MD (November 1, 2017) - Tall silver and white and even purple plumes of grass nodding from old fields and road edges may catch your eye as they are tossed by autumn winds. Graceful and attractive in gardens, some ornamental grasses are rapidly becoming natural
- [Trapped Again? A New Species of Water Chestnut Discovered in the Potomac](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/june-2018/) - ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 1, 2018) – Eurasian water chestnut (Trapa natans) has been present in the United States since the latter half of the 19th century and is a well-known invasive species. Once water chestnut shows up in a water body, it can quickly spread to cover large areas and, if allowed to reproduce, can
- [MISC Meeting - July 19, 2018](https://mdinvasives.org/announcements/misc-meeting-july-19-2018/) - Maryland Invasive Species Council – Next Meeting Thursday, July 19 2018 | 9:30 AM to 12 PM LOCATION: Maryland Department of Agriculture 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway Annapolis, MD 21401 Click Here for Directions to MDA Follow signs to Visitor Parking. Walk in through main entrance, visitors must check in at the security desk. AGENDA –
- [MISC Meeting - May 17, 2018](https://mdinvasives.org/announcements/misc-meeting-may-17-2018/) - Thursday, May 17 2018 | 9:30 AM to 12 PM LOCATION: National Agricultural Library Abraham Lincoln Building Multi-Purpose Room 10301 Baltimore Avenue Beltsville, MD 20705-2351 Visiting the National Agricultural Library AGENDA – Scroll down MISC meetings are open to the public. Please let us know if you might be attending. Send an email to Lane.Heimer@maryland.gov
- [Red Alert: Spotted lanternfly](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/jan-2018/) - Contact: Colleen Kenny, Maryland DNR - Forest Service | colleen.kenny@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (January 1, 2018) - Spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is an invasive plant-hopping insect that attacks and feeds on a wide variety of fruit and tree species. Spotted lanternfly has been spreading throughout southeastern Pennsylvania, and because it was recently found for the first
- [Are invasive plants “bugging” you?](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/may-2018/) - Contact: Marc Imlay, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission | ialm@erols.com ANNAPOLIS, MD (May 1, 2018) – Many shrubs first introduced as desirable landscape species have been found to take over the understory of woodlands and greatly impact native forest regeneration. The invasive properties of both Japanese barberry (Berberis thumbergii) and Bush honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) have
- [This little piggy went to Maryland?](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/march-2018/) - Contact – Jonathan McNight, Maryland, DNR - Maryland Wildlife and Heritage Service | jonathan.mcknight@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 1, 2018) - In the last week of January 2018, one of a pair of free-ranging pigs (Sus scrofa) attacked and bit a citizen in Frederick County, Maryland. The porcine perpetrator was subsequently killed by Frederick County Animal
- [MISC Meeting - March 15, 2018](https://mdinvasives.org/announcements/misc-meeting-march-15-2018/) - Maryland Invasive Species Council – Next Meeting Thursday, March 15 2018 | 9:30 AM to 12 PM LOCATION: Maryland Department of Agriculture 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway Annapolis, MD 21401 Click Here for Directions to MDA Follow signs to Visitor Parking. Walk in through main entrance, visitors must check in at the security desk. AGENDA –
- [The cherry blossoms have arrived! Some good, some bad.](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/april-2018/) - Contact: Bud Reaves, Anne Arundel County | ipreav00@aacounty.org ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 3, 2018) – Every year in late March and early April, cherry trees burst forth into bloom in Maryland. Some of the first to bloom in the spring, cherries are among the showiest flowers in the forest. However, most of the cherry trees that get
- [White Nose Syndrome](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/feb-2015/) - White Nose Syndrome Fungus - Pseudogymnoascus destructans* Contact: Dana Limpert, Conservation Specialist, MD Department of Natural Resources Wildlife and Heritage Service | DanaL.LIMPERT@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 1, 2015) - White nose syndrome (WNS or PD, Pseudogymnoascus destructans*) was first confirmed in Maryland bat overwintering hibernacula in 2010. The disease has been documented in all major
- [No Pot of Gold at the End of THIS Rainbow!](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/june-2017/) - Contact: Dawn Miller | Dawn.Miller2@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 04, 2017) - Although it is an attractive herbaceous perennial named after Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow, yellow flag iris is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Because of its invasive tendencies and negative impacts in natural and agricultural systems, Iris pseudacorus, commonly known as yellow flag iris,
- [Preventing Invaders](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/dec-2015/) - Contact: James Young, Plant Protection and Quarantine, USDA APHIS | Jim.D.Young@aphis.usda.gov Matt Travis, MD State Plant Health Director, USDA APHIS | Matthew.A.Travis@aphis.usda.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (December 1, 2015) - Exotic species are in the news almost daily. They can be found in our parks and even in our own backyards. Sadly, many of them are so
- [Invasive Species: They've Got "Good Genes"](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/dec-2016/) - Contact: Matt Salo, Naturalist, Town of CheverlyKerrie L. Kyde, Maryland DNR Kerrie.Kyde@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (December 01, 2016) - Invasive plants cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars each year due to losses they incur in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and the recreation industry, plus the damage they do to native ecosystems. Does genetic make-up affect a plant's
- [Barriers to BSal: Averting the Apocalypse for North American Salamanders](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/nov-2016/) - Contact: Scott Smith | scott.smith@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (November 01, 2016) - Chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis or Bd), has been called the greatest threat to global amphibian biodiversity, having caused the disappearance of more than 200 of the world's frog species since the 1970s. Now there's a frightening "new kid on the block" called BSal, short for Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, a close
- [King of the (Aquatic) Beasts? Lionfish in North America](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/oct-2016/) - Contact: Jonathan McKnight | jonathan.mcknight@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (October 01, 2016) - Lionfish have a lot going for them. They are a spectacular little fish, highly variable in coloration and carrying a halo of ornate fin spines that appear both delicate and menacing. Their spines can deliver a powerful toxic assault on a would-be predator or a
- [Sudden Oak Death Could Be Back in Maryland, and You May Have It.](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/jan-2017/) - Contact: Ramesh R Pokharel, Plant Pathologist, Maryland Department of Agriculture| ramesh.pokharel@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (January 05, 2017) - Sudden oak death, a relatively new disease, caused by the pathogen Phytophthora ramorum, was found for the first time in 1995, infecting oaks in California. The disease was known only in California and southwestern Oregon until 2002. However, the U.S.
- [The "nom de plume" of plume grass is: EMERGING INVADER](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/sept-2016/) - Contact: John Peter Thompson | ipetrus1@msn.com ORKerrie Kyde | Kerrie.Kyde@Maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (September 01, 2016) - Plume grass, or Ravennagrass (Saccharum ravennae, and many synonyms) is a botanical cousin to sugar cane. But its escape from ornamental plantings to naturalized patches is not so sweet. Reported as escaped in natural landscapes of the lower Chesapeake Bay and as
- [Ailanthus' Achilles Heel: A Poisoned Arrow in a Wilt Fungus](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/aug-2016/) - Contact: Aaron Cook | Aaron.Cook@Maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (August 01, 2016) - Tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima), also known as ailanthus, shumac, stinking sumac, stink-tree, copal tree, or Chinese sumac, is a common alien weed in many areas of the United States. Tree-of-heaven is a native of central China. It was first introduced into the United States in Philadelphia
- [Classroom Pets and Projects](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/sept-2012/) - Katie ten Hagen | kt10hagen@gmail.com ANNAPOLIS, MD (September 20, 2012) - Many people have fond memories of raising some sort of classroom “pet,” be it butterflies, frogs, fish, hermit crabs, or “regular” pets like hamsters or gerbils. Watching a plant or animal go through its entire lifecycle is incredibly fascinating and can be an invaluable
- [Kudzu Bug](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/may-2012/) - Contact: Mary Kay Malinoski, University of Maryland Extension | mkmal@umd.edu ANNAPOLIS, MD (May 14, 2012) - The kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria, is also known as the bean plataspid, lablab bug, or globular stink bug. It was first discovered near Atlanta Georgia in 2009 and has since spread to South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, and one county on
- [Lesser Celandine](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/april-2012/) - Contact: Wesley Knapp, Maryland Department of Natural Resources | WKnapp@dnr.state.md.us ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 9, 2012) - What is that beautiful lush green vegetation growing all along over that floodplain with pretty yellow flowers? That is the incredibly invasive lesser celandine (Ficaria verna). Also known as the fig buttercup, this pretty yellow flowering plant now dominates the
- [Castor Oil for What Ails You?](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/sept-2011/) - Contact: K. L. Kyde, Maryland Department of Natural Resources | kerrie.kyde@maryland.gov UConn Plants Database (scroll to bottom for more images) ANNAPOLIS, MD (September 1, 2011) - Castor aralia, Kalopanax septemlobus, is a tree from moist, deciduous forests in Asia that is planted as an ornamental in North America. It is the only large tree member of
- [“Winter? Moth”](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/oct-2010/) - Contact: Bob Tatman, Maryland Department of Agriculture | TatmanRL@mda.state.md.us ANNAPOLIS, MD (October 4, 2010) - Winter moth (Operophtera brumata), an exotic pest from Europe, has the potential to be a very serious problem in deciduous forests throughout the eastern United States. It already is well established in Nova Scotia, eastern Massachusetts, British Columbia, Oregon and Washington
- [Grass Carp in the Chesapeake Bay: A Watery Gypsy Moth?](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/march-2009/) - Contact: Alan Heft, Maryland DNR Inland Fisheries Management Division | 301.689.7107 ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 5, 2009) - It is illegal to import grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) into Maryland waters for many reasons, the most important of which is that grass carp pose a serious threat to the ecological integrity of Chesapeake Bay. Grass carp, also known
- [Use the Wisdom of Socrates to Identify the “Blood of Socrates”](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/july-2008/) - Contact: Kerrie Kyde, MD DNR | kerrie.kyde@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (July 6, 2008) - Blooming from early-June well into July, poison hemlock, Conium maculatum, is noticeable all along roadsides and in moist meadows. Native to Europe and the Mediterranean, poison hemlock is widely distributed throughout the U.S., including Maryland. This member of the Apiaceae, or Parsley family, can
- [Potomac River’s Floating Salad Bar Has No Takers](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/jan-2008/) - Contact: Kerrie Kyde, Maryland DNR | kerrie.kyde@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (January 3, 2008) - This past summer, US Geological Survey scientists discovered the exotic plant water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) floating over submerged aquatic vegetation beds in Mattawoman Creek, a large Potomac River tributary in Charles County. They raised an alarm in the aquatic invasive species community, because
- [Citizens Urged to Report Pest of Popular Ornamental Shrub](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/nov-2003/) - Contact: Dick Bean, Maryland Department of Agriculture | 410-841-5920 ANNAPOLIS, MD (November 3, 2003) – Landscapers and homeowners are not the only ones that like the popular euonymus shrub. The Maryland Invasive Species Council's latest "Invader of the Month," Pryeria sinica, likes it too. Pryeria sinica, a moth that feeds on the leaves of euonymus shrubs in
- [One of the Fastest-Spreading Forest Weeds Found In 23 States](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/sept-2003/) - Contact: Marc Imlay | 301-442-5657 | ialm@erols.com ANNAPOLIS, MD (Sept. 5, 2003) - Before people used styrofoam peanuts as packing material, they used fabric, wood shavings or dried plant leaves and stems to protect breakables in shipping. One of the worst invasive weeds in the Mid-Atlantic states, Japanese Stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) probably was introduced as packaging
- [A Very Serious Menace](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/april-2003/) - Contact: Don R. Robbins | 410-841-5920 ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 2, 2003) - Beware of the Giant Hogweed, a giant perennial plant named by the Maryland Invasive Species Council(MISC) as April's "Invader of the Month." While interesting for its unusually large size and flower, the Giant Hogweed is on the federal noxious weed list because of
- [Welcome to Our New Website!](https://mdinvasives.org/announcements/new-website/) - Please pardon our dust as we transition to our new website, some content may not yet be functional or available yet. Thank you for your patience in this process. MISC's original website has been preserved and moved to www.mdinvasives.org/archive/ Web hosting sponsored by Montgomery Weed Control Inc, web design by Michael Ellis.
- [Non-Native Insect Threatens Health of Popular and Beneficial Trees](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/march-2003/) - Contact: Robert H. Tichenor, Maryland Department of Agriculture | 410-841-5920 ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 13, 2003) - A small insect from eastern Asia is severely impacting Maryland's hemlocks, an important evergreen tree. The hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae, native to China and Japan, is a serious threat to the health and sustainability of hemlocks in eastern North
- [Colonial Medicine Herb Plasters the Woods with Mustard](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/may-2003/) - ANNAPOLIS, MD (May 8, 2003) – In the 1880’s, settlers brought the Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) plant from Europe to the New World, to use for medicine and as a flavoring agent in soups. But this plant, named by the Maryland Invasive Species Council as May’s “Invader of the Month,” proved to be more like
- [Omnivorous Insect a Risk to Humans, Animals, and the Nursery Industry](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/aug-2003/) - ANNAPOLIS, MD (August 4, 2003) - With a bite hotter than the southern summer, the omnivorous Red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, is the state’s most recent invasive species of the month. Since the first detection of the insect in Maryland in 1986, it has been intercepted by aggressive surveillance and eradication efforts of the Maryland
- [The Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle: A Mixed Blessing](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/oct-2003/) - ANNAPOLIS, MD (Oct. 6, 2003) - In recent years, the multicolored Asian lady beetle (Harmonia axyridis) has become a common visitor in and around homes and gardens in Maryland. A native of Asia, this lady beetle was initially released in California in the early 1900's, but was also released many times from 1978 to 1985.
- [From Wreath to Forest](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/dec-2003/) - Contact: Sylvan Kaufman, Adkins Arboretum | 410-634-2847 (ext. 13) ANNAPOLIS, MD (Dec. 2, 2003) - The colors of fall are reflected beautifully in the yellow and red fruits of the Oriental bittersweet vine decorating wreaths or dried flower arrangements, but what happens when the colors fade and that bittersweet is thrown out into the woods
- [No Thank You, M‑A‑M!](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/oct-2004/) - Contact: Jil Swearingen, National Park Service, Center for Urban Ecology, Washington, DC | 202-342-1443 (ext. 218) ANNAPOLIS, MD (October 21, 2004) - The name alone says it all - this is one fast growing plant! Mile-a-minute weed (MAM), also known as devil’s tail tearthumb, is an herbaceous, annual, trailing vine in the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae).
- [Thousand Cankers Disease](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/dec-2014/) - Contacts: Dave Clement, University of Maryland Extension | clement@umd.edu Karen Rane, University of Maryland Plant Diagnostic Lab | rane@umd.edu ANNAPOLIS, MD (December 10, 2014) - Thousand cankers disease (TCD) is a disease complex first discovered in the western United States that primarily affects black walnut (Juglans nigra). This disease is the result of the combined
- [Good for what "Ails" you? A gift from Heaven?](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/dec-2017/) - Contact: Jil Swearingen, Invasive Species Consultant, Cheverly, Maryland | jilswearingen@gmail.com Agrilus smaragdifrons. Photo by Antonio Liberta, 2014; used with permission. ANNAPOLIS, MD (December 1, 2017) - Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is a highly invasive plant species native to China and East Asia, that impacts natural areas, agricultural areas, and urban areas. It was first introduced
- [Clean Your Gear](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/july-2012/) - Contact: Jay Kilian, Maryland Department of Natural Resources | 410-260-8617 ANNAPOLIS, MD (July 11, 2012) - Summer is here and it is time to dust off that kayak, pull the waders out of that closet, put a new coat of wax on that boat, inflate the tires on that trailer, and string up some new
- [There’s No Hiding from Hydrilla](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/june-2009/) - Contact: Mark Lewandowski, MD DNR, Tidewater Ecosystem Assessment | mlewandowski@dnr.state.md.us ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 5, 2009) - Many of the tributaries, reservoirs and lakes in Maryland have extensive populations of the submerged aquatic plant Hydrilla(Hydrilla verticillata), sometimes called waterthyme. It is distributed all over the world, though it is native to Korea and India. It can flourish in
- [Exotic Snails](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/march-2013/) - Contact: Dick Bean, Maryland Department of Agriculture | dick.bean@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 8, 2013) - Exotic and alien species arrive in the US daily. Whether they are brought in intentionally or accidentally makes little difference; the end result can be the same - new introduced pests with potential to cause serious impacts on agriculture, the
- [An Incisive Invader](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/may-2017/) - Contact: Damien Ossi | Damien.Ossi@dc.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (May 01, 2017) - Incised fumewort (Corydalis incisa), also known as purple keman, is a biennial, shade-tolerant forb in the poppy family, related to bleeding-hearts and to the showy garden perennial spring fumewort. It is native to eastern Asia. Incised fumewort appears to be uncommon in the horticultural trade,
- [Choose Your Viburnums with Care](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/april-2017/) - Contact: Sylvan Kaufman | Sylvan.Kaufman@gmail.com ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 01, 2017) - Gardeners love viburnums for their white spring flowers, compact growth, and colorful fall fruits and foliage. Few gardeners know that some viburnums have become invasive plants and should be avoided. Linden viburnum (Viburnum dilatatum), doublefile viburnum or Japanese snowball (V. plicatum), and Siebold viburnum (V.
- [Putting a New Spin on Trout](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/march-2008/) - Contact: Susan Rivers, MD DNR | srivers@dnr.state.md.us ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 1, 2008) - Myxobolus cerebralis is a microscopic parasite of trout species that causes a condition known as whirling disease. The parasite was introduced to the United States in the 1950’s from Europe. Since that time it has been found in over 23 states. The parasite was first
- [Little Green Invaders](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/feb-2006/) - Contact: Julie Thompson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 410-573-4517 ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 17, 2006) – A little green invader has established itself Maryland Coastal Bays and the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. This invader is called the European green crab (Carcinus maenus), and has been chosen by the Maryland Invasive Species Council as the Invader
- [Buy It Where You Burn It](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/jan-2009/) - Contact: Carol Holko, Maryland Department of Agriculture, Plant Protection & Weed Management | 410.479.2047 | holkoca@mda.state.md.us ANNAPOLIS, MD (January 5, 2009) - The introduction and movement of invasive and exotic forest pests is often accelerated and assisted by human activities. Firewood has great potential to introduce highly destructive forest pests into new uninfested susceptible locations. In
- [Chocolate Vine: Not So Sweet](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/june-2010/) - Contact: Kate K. Traut, Straughan Environmental | 301-362-9200 ext.117 | ktraut@straughanenvironmental.com ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 7, 2010) - Chocolate vine, or fiveleaf akebia (Akebia quinata), may be a sweet-smelling delight in the garden, but it is quickly becoming one of Maryland’s most wanted invasive species. Its delicately trailing vines, exotic-looking palmate leaves, and chocolate-scented flowers are some of
- [Biological Control Agent for Mile-a-Minute Weed](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/aug-2012/) - Contact: Robert Trumbule, Maryland Department of Agriculture | Robert.Trumbule@Maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (August 20, 2012) - Mile-a-minute weed, Persicaria perfoliata(L.) H. Gross, is an annual Asian vine that has invaded a variety of habitats in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic states. First discovered in southeastern Pennsylvania in the mid-1930’s, it has since spread to as many as
- [A Reed Too Common](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/july-2005/) - Contact: Julie Thompson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Julie_Thompson@fws.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (July 16, 2005) - Phragmites australis, also known as common reed, is an exotic invasive grass that is becoming an all too common sight in Maryland. It can grow to heights of 15-20 feet and forms a dense monoculture that can be very difficult to
- [Where Have all the "Flowers" Gone?](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/oct-2017/) - Contact: Shelley Brunelle, Maryland SHA | SBrunelle@sha.state.md.us ANNAPOLIS, MD (October 01, 2017) - When did you last travel along congested I-495, I-95 between Washington DC and Baltimore, or on US 50 toward Annapolis, and notice something missing? Missing are certainly not angry red taillights or flashing blue lights or even cautious amber work lights. Missing is
- [A Weapon Against Weeds](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/march-2011/) - Contact: Nevin Dawson | ndawson@umd.edu ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 2, 2011) - Invasive species got you down? Get goats! This month’s article is not about an invasive species, but a specific control measure. Goats can be a great tool in your efforts to control the invasion of many common invasive plants. Traditional control measures can be effective,
- [Not so Heavenly](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/feb-2018/) - Contact: Colleen Kenny, Maryland DNR - Forest Service | colleen.kenny@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 1, 2018) - As you walk through the woods this February, most plants will appear dormant, but heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica) will be on full display. While often used as an ornamental plant, heavenly bamboo invades natural areas in Maryland and it
- ["But It’s So Beautiful!"](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/may-2009/) - Contact: Lane Heimer, MDA | 410-841-5920 ANNAPOLIS, MD (May 1, 2009) - The mimosa tree (Albizia julibrissin) has always been appreciated by homeowners and gardeners for its wonderful fragrant, showy flowers, delicate leaves and draping canopy. First brought to the United States around 1745 as an ornamental tree, it has now become a troublesome invasive
- [A Pox in the Orchard!](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/may-2004/) - Contact: Dick Bean, Maryland Department of Agriculture | 410-841-5920 | beanra@mda.state.md.us ANNAPOLIS, MD (May 27, 2004) - Is it Shakespeare? No, it’s Sharka, a viral disease of plums and other stone fruits that has spread steadily from eastern to western Europe over the last 80 years. So far, the virus has not been found in Maryland. Officials
- [An Invasive Species Success Story](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/june-2004/) - Contact: Jonathan McKnight, Maryland Department of Natural Resources | 410-260-8539 | jmcknight@dnr.state.md.us ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 18, 2004) - There are few success stories in the history of the introduction of invasive exotic species to North America. After all, a true success is a species that is prevented from ever entering a North American ecosystem, and no
- [Porcelainberry](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/july-2004/) - Contact: Carole Bergmann, Forest Ecologist, Maryland National Capital Parks and Planning Commission | 301-949-2818 ANNAPOLIS, MD (July 12, 2004) - Porcelainberry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata) is familiar to almost everyone, even if they can’t name it. Often mistaken for the native grape, Porcelainberry is a deciduous vine of the grape family (Vitaceae). Popular in the horticultural trade
- [National Effort to Contain Disease Underway](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/aug-2004/) - ANNAPOLIS, MD (August 11, 2004) - Maryland may have an elusive plant disease lurking in unsuspecting neighborhoods. Sudden oak death, as it is commonly known, is caused by the fungus-like pathogen, Phytophthora ramorum, and has been designated as the Maryland Invasive Species Council's "Invader of the Month" for August. Responsible for the deaths of thousands of
- [When is it good to be out of GAS?](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/sept-2004/) - Contact: Gaye L. Williams, Maryland Department of Agriculture | 410-841-5920 | williagl@mda.state.md.us ANNAPOLIS, MD (September 17, 2004) - Giant African Snails (GAS), which are illegal in the United States, are appearing in schoolrooms, pet stores and flea markets across the country (really!). While the snails can present some public health concerns, the agricultural and ecological damage they
- [Rust on the Queen's Crown](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/nov-2004/) - Contact: John Bowers, Maryland Department of Agriculture410-841-5920 | bowersjh@mda.state.md.us ANNAPOLIS, MD (November 23, 2004) - Since the chrysanthemum was first introduced into the United States during colonial times, its popularity has grown such that mums now reign as undisputed "Queen of the Fall Flowers." However, a fungal disease called chrysanthemum white rust can severely impact this
- [Public Education Happens in "Iv’y Towers”](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/feb-2004/) - Contact: Carole Bergmann | Carole.Bergmann@mncppc-md.org301-949-2818 ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 2004) - Institutions of higher learning in our country are sometimes described as “ivory towers.” For February’s Invader of the Month, the Maryland Invasive Species Council examines “ivy towers”, the columns that English ivy, Hedera helix, makes when it scales buildings or forest trees. English ivy is frequently used
- [Porcelainberry](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/oct-2015/) - Contact: Sylvan Kaufman, Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council | Sylvan.Kaufman@gmail.com ANNAPOLIS, MD (October 1, 2015) - Porcelainberry vine was a popular ornamental plant with its beautiful multicolored fruits, but it has become a thug in backyards, urban parks, and natural areas across Maryland. The Maryland Invasive Species Council (MISC) has chosen Porcelainberry as October's "Invader of
- [Mute Swan](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/may-2005/) - Contact: Jonathan McKnight | JMcKnight@dnr.state.md.us | 410-260-8539 ANNAPOLIS, MD (May 6, 2005) - The descendants of five pet mute swans that escaped from their Talbot County home in 1962 have grown to nearly 4000 in the Chesapeake Bay region - and natural resource managers are concerned that without control of adult swans this population, which has more
- [Is a Bird in the Hand Worth Two in the Bush?](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/march-2005/) - Contact: Kerrie Kyde, Maryland DNR | kerrie.kyde@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 1, 2005) - A bird in the hand might be worth much more if the bush is one of three common exotic invasive bush honeysuckles. Studies show that robins’ nests in Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) are more likely to experience predation than nests in native shrubs
- [Worst Weed in Maryland?](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/april-2005/) - Contact: Lane Heimer, Maryland Department of Agriculture | 410-841-5871 ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 12, 2005) - With spring here, flowers will soon be out, but weeds too will be upon us. One of the worst is Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense), a misnomer, because it is actually native to Europe and Asia. Many now call it creeping
- [Resident Canada Geese](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/oct-2005/) - Contact: Jonathan McKnight, Maryland Department of Natural Resources | JMcKnight@dnr.state.md.us ANNAPOLIS, MD (October 17, 2005) - No sound is more evocative of autumn’s arrival for Marylanders than the honking of the migratory Canada geese that make their winter homes in our fields and rivers. Having spent the spring and summer breeding in the far north, the
- [Japanese Honeysuckle](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/nov-2005/) - Contact: Kerrie Kyde, Maryland Department of Natural Resources | kerrie.kyde@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (November 14, 2005) - A beautiful, fragrant blooming woody vine from Asia, Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) was introduced into Long Island, NY in 1806 as a garden plant and bank stabilizer. Although initially slow to spread, by 1912 this perennial vine had escaped from
- [Sirex, You Say!](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/jan-2006/) - Contact: Dick Bean, Maryland Department of Agriculture | beanra@mda.state.md.us | 410.841.5920 ANNAPOLIS, MD (January 15, 2006) - In February, 2005, a horntail (a wood boring wasp) new to the U.S was discovered by Dr. Richard Hoebeke, in a September, 2004 forest survey trap sample from Fulton, N.Y. Identified as Sirex noctilio, it was not only new to
- [There's a special providence in the fall of a sparrow](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/march-2006/) - Contact: Jonathan McKnight, Maryland DNR | 410-260-8539 ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 21, 2006) - Given time, Shakespeare's reference to the House Sparrow might have been its ticket to a new world, for in the 1800's various American literary societies made an effort to introduce all of the birds mentioned in Shakespeare's works to North America. But
- [New Viburnum Pest Headed South](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/april-2006/) - Contact: Mary Kay Malinoski, Maryland Cooperative Extension | mkmal@umd.edu | 800-342-2507 ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 17 2006) - The viburnum leaf beetle, Pyrrhalta viburni, is a recent unintentionally introduced pest of viburnum in North America. It was first found in upstate New York in 1996. This pest has been on the move ever since munching its way through native
- [Everything Is Coming Up Roses](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/may-2006/) - Contact: Lane Heimer, MDA Weed Control | Lane_Heimer@att.net | 410-841-5871 ANNAPOLIS, MD (May 18, 2006) - Say “everything’s coming up roses” and it is generally a positive statement, unless you are talking about multiflora roses. Multiflora rose comes up everywhere and is so widespread and familiar that many do not realize it is a troublesome and costly
- [Wineberry](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/sept-2006/) - Contact: Carole Bergmann, Forest Ecologist, Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission, Montgomery County | carole.bergmann@mncppc-mc.org ANNAPOLIS, MD (September 15, 2006) - Wineberry (Rubus phoenicolasius), a cousin of Raspberries, is one of a number of species and hybrids in a diverse genus. The plant was introduced into the United States from Asia in 1890 as breeding stock
- [Coming Soon to a Wetland Near You!](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/july-2006/) - Contact: Kerrie L. Kyde, Habitat Ecologist/Invasive Plant Specialist, Maryland DNR | kerrie.kyde@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (July 7, 2006) - In the tradition of enticing but scary summer horror movies, Maryland’s wetlands could soon be putting on a beautiful but insidious summer show, starring the European invader purple loosestrife. This moisture-loving plant, sporting long spikes of magenta blossoms,
- [Not So Merry Exotic Barberry](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/dec-2006/) - Contact: Jil Swearingen, National Park Service | Jil_Swearingen@nps.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (December 1, 2006) - As its name implies, Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is native to Japan. It was introduced to the U.S. and New England as an ornamental plant in 1875 in the form of seeds sent from Russia to the Arnold Arboretum in Boston, Massachusetts.
- [The Green Menace](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/jan-2007/) - ANNAPOLIS, MD (January 3, 2007) - Twenty million ash trees are dead and gone. Stately trees with high canopies covering miles of neighborhood streets are gone; the shaded avenues now denuded of green. In the forest, majestic giants have been brought down by a small green inconspicuous beetle. So inconspicuous, in fact, that researchers now
- [To Bee, or Not to Bee (with apologies to William Shakespeare)](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/feb-2007/) - ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 1, 2007) - Honey bees, Apis mellifera, have a major role in the production of our food supply. In the U.S. they pollinate about 130 different crops with annual estimates of their pollination value alone, ranging from $5-14 billion; in Maryland, it has been valued at $40 million. Honey bees also produce honey,
- [MSX (Haplosporidium nelsoni)](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/march-2007/) - Contact: Jonathan A. McKnight, Maryland Department of Natural Resources | 410-260-8539 | jmcknight@dnr.state.md.us ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 9, 2007) - One of the hottest topics in mid-Atlantic conservation is the proposal to introduce a new species of oyster to the Chesapeake Bay. The Asian Oyster, it is argued, would be tougher that our native oyster, and could
- [Snowstorms in April?](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/april-2007/) - Contact: K. L. Kyde, Maryland Department of Natural Resources | kerrie.kyde@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 1, 2007) - Maryland roadsides are lit up during April with the white blossoms of Callery pears (Pyrus calleryana). When the first cultivated variety, or cultivar, was promoted to the horticulture industry in the early 1960’s, the small flowering Asian tree seemed
- [A Royal Procession in Maryland](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/may-2007/) - Contact: Rachel Cliche, US Fish and Wildlife Service | Rachel_Cliche@fws.gov | 410-639-2108 (ext. 222) ANNAPOLIS, MD (May 1, 2007) - Princess tree (Paulownia tomentosa), also known as royal Paulownia or empress tree, is an aggressive ornamental tree that grows rapidly along roadsides, stream banks, forests and rocky slopes. Its ability to sprout prolifically from adventitious buds on stems and
- [Asian Vine Climbs into Maryland](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/june-2007/) - Contact: Phil Pannill, Regional Watershed Forester, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Forest Service | ppannill@dnr.state.md.us ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 4, 2007) - While it sounds like a boon to the neighborhood microbrewery, Japanese Hops is more likely to be the bane of local land managers. This Asian vine, scientific name Humulus japonicus, is not good for beer making,
- [Feeling Crabby?](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/july-207/) - Contact: Jonathan McKnight, Maryland Department of Natural Resources | 410-260-8539 ANNAPOLIS, MD (July 5, 2007) - A newly discovered invader from East Asia could make us all feel crabby, with its potential to do damage to the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. The Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis), in the first documented sighting on the East coast of
- [New Invader Waves a Red Flag](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/aug-2007/) - Contact: K. L. Kyde, Maryland Department of Natural Resources kerrie.kyde@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (August 6, 2007) - Two small populations of a Eurasian grass never previously found in the US were discovered in Patapsco State Park by sharp-eyed botanists in 1997. Smithsonian Institution experts confirmed its identity as an exotic species of a grass that is
- [Tree-of-Heaven is Really Stinking Tree-from-Hell](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/sept-2007/) - ANNAPOLIS, MD (September 1, 2007) - Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima), also known as ailanthus, stink-tree, stinking or (incorrectly) Chinese sumac or shumac, and by other less than pleasant names, is Maryland’s worst invasive alien tree, and the Maryland Invasive Species Council's September Invader of the Month. Introduced into the U.S. from China in 1784, it was
- [Chinese Silvergrass](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/oct-2007/) - Contact: K. L. Kyde, Invasive Plant Specialist, Maryland DNRkerrie.kyde@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (October 9, 2007) - The beautiful Asian ornamental grass genus Miscanthus, or Silvergrass, contains several species widely planted in gardens throughout the eastern U.S. One of the most frequently used is Miscanthus sinensis, Chinese silvergrass or Eulalia. Over 50 cultivated varieties, or cultivars, have been introduced
- [Another Case of Good Bait, Gone Bad](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/nov-2007/) - Contact: Jay Kilian, Maryland DNR | Jkilian@dnr.state.md.us ANNAPOLIS, MD (November 1, 2007) - Rusty crayfish, Orconectes rusticus, was discovered lurking in Marsh Creek, a northern tributary to the Monocacy River in Frederick County, by biologists from the Maryland DNR Maryland Biological Stream Survey in June 2007. This is the first state record of this non-native invasive species
- [Red Alert for Redbay?](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/dec-2007/) - Contact: Faith Campbell, TNC | fcampbell@tnc.org ANNAPOLIS, MD (December 2, 2007) - Beginning in 2003, reports surfaced of dying redbay trees (Persea borbonia) in coastal areas of Georgia and South Carolina; in 2005 the problem was also found in northeast Florida. Further study confirmed that the cause was a previously unknown fungus Raffaelea lauricola. The pathogen
- [Not a Professional Scientist? You Can Contribute Regardless!](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/july-2017/) - Contact: Kerrie Kyde kerrie.kyde@maryland.gov and Jil Swearingen jilswearingen@gmail.com ANNAPOLIS, MD (July 04, 2017) – Even if you don’t have a degree in science, you can help support scientific research through a number of “citizen science” efforts. For invasive species research in Maryland, one of the best ways to help is through data collection. Collecting data is
- [The Waterwheel... Turning Over North American Wetlands](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/jan-2016/) - Contact: Wesley Knapp, Maryland Department of Natural Resources | Wesley.Knapp@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (January 1, 2016) - We've never seen an invasive species quite like this one before. The waterwheel (Aldrovanda vesiculosa L.) is an herbaceous carnivorous aquatic plant closely related to sundews (Drosera spp.) and Venus flytraps (Dionaea muscipula). It catches animal prey through an
- [Bushkiller](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/sep-2014/) - Contact: Kerrie Kyde, Maryland DNR Natural Heritage Program | Kerrie.Kyde@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (September 9, 2014) - A new invasive vine related to grapes has appeared in Maryland. Like its cousin porcelainberry, bushkiller (Cayratia japonica) is a perennial vine with tendrils that allow it to climb up and over other vegetation. Bushkiller earns its murderous name
- [The Moth that Eats a Million Acres](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/june-2008/) - Contact: Bob Tichenor, USDA APHIS | robert.h.tichenor@aphis.usda.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 2, 2008) - The gypsy moth story begins in the late 1860’s. There is a shortage of cotton in the aftermath of the Civil War, and a persistent disease is plaguing the silk worm industry. Arriving on the scene is Leopold Trouvelot, an amateur naturalist from
- [Blight Takes a Bite Out of American Chestnuts](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/april-2008/) - Contact: Robert Strasser, Hood College240-285-8199 | strasser@hood.edu ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 5, 2008) - Chestnut blight, Cryphonectria parasitica, is a very lethal organism. This parasitic fungus reached North America accidentally on chestnut trees shipped from Asia around the turn of the 20th century. It infects various oaks and some other hardwoods, but its principal victim is one of
- [Oh No! Not Rock Snot! What Do You Know About Didymo?](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/may-2008/) - Contact: Susan Rivers, Maryland DNR | srivers@dnr.state.md.us ANNAPOLIS, MD (May 4, 2008) - Didymosphenia geminata (known as Didymo or rock snot) has recently been found in a Maryland stream. This diatomaceous alga forms heavy mats during its growing period and can coat stream bottoms. It can impact fishing, boating, and water intake structures by fouling equipment with this
- [Savior to Scourge in Only 7 Inches a Day](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/aug-2008/) - Contact: Heather Coiner, University of Toronto | h.coiner@utoronto.ca | 416-946-8115 ANNAPOLIS, MD (August 4, 2008) - Once hailed as the “savior of the South”, now reviled as a “scourge”, kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata) has consistently excited popular passions. Kudzu’s fast-growing vines climb by twining around structures and vegetation, killing underlying plants by shading them from the sun. In
- [Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Revisited](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/oct-2008/) - Contact: Maryland Home and Garden Information Center | 410-531-5556 | http://extension.umd.edu/hgic ANNAPOLIS, MD (October 1, 2008) - Unfortunately, being stinky is not the only claim to fame for the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), an Asian pest that was recently discovered in the Northeast United States. Because this new exotic insect has the potential to damage
- [Not so Anonymous Euonymus](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/nov-2008/) - Contact: Jil Swearingen, National Park Service | 202.342.1443 | Jil_Swearingen@nps.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (November 18, 2008) - Winged burning bush, winged euonymus, or winged wahoo (Euonymus alatus) is native to Northeastern Asia, Japan and Central China. It was introduced for use as an ornamental plant for landscaping around 1860 and has been widely planted by landscape professionals,
- [Bark Disease Blitzes Beech](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/dec-2008/) - Contact: Steven A. Tilley, Maryland Department of Agriculture, Forest Pest Management | 410.479.2047 | satilley@dmv.com ANNAPOLIS, MD (December 2, 2008) - Beech Bark Disease (BBD) complex consists of two organisms, a scale insect and a fungal pathogen, which together create entry wounds and infection that kill beech trees. The beech scale (Cryptococcus fagisuga), causes wounds to
- [A Bucket-o-Trouble!](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/feb-2009/) - Contact: Jay Kilian, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Resource Assessment Service | 410-260-8617 ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 3, 2009) - The use of live bait for sport fishing is widespread in North America. Demand for live bait has generated a significant bait industry that is now worth over US $1 billion annually. Live terrestrial and aquatic
- [Restoration through Eradication: Neutralizing Nutria in the Chesapeake Bay](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/april-2009/) - Contact: Steve Kendrot, USDA | 410-221-7857 ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 3, 2009) - In the nearly 70 years since nutria (Myocastor coypus) were introduced into the marshes at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Dorchester County, Maryland, these invasive aquatic rodents have wreaked havoc in the Chesapeake Bay. Originally brought to the area for its luxurious fur,
- [Types of Weed Control](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/march-2012/) - Contact: Tim Culbreth, Maryland Department of Natural Resources | TCulbreth@dnr.state.md.us ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 20, 2012) - For March, the Maryland Invasive Species Council Invader of the Month is taking a different approach and wants to educate everyone on the methods of control available to use in the war on terrestrial invasive plants. At the most basic level,
- [What’s Black and White, and Dread All Over?](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/july-2009/) - Contact: Carol Holko, MDA | 410-841-5920 or holkoca@mda.state.md.us ANNAPOLIS, MD (July 8, 2009) - The Asian longhorned beetle (ALB, Anoplophora glabripennis) is a damaging exotic insect pest that poses a serious threat to many species of deciduous hardwood trees such as maple, elm, willow, birch, horsechestnut, and poplar. The beetle larvae harm trees by feeding under the
- [Beware: The Dog-Strangling Vines!](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/aug-2009/) - Contact: Kristine Averill, Cornell University | kma25@cornell.eduToni DiTommaso, Cornell University | ad97@cornell.edu ANNAPOLIS, MD (August 5, 2009) - Vincetoxicum nigrum and V. rossicum (black and pale swallow-wort or dog-strangling vines) are two vines causing concern for natural and disturbed areas in Maryland. The swallow-worts, cousins of the milkweeds, threaten agricultural lands, terrestrial ecosystems, and native plant and animal species. Their roots
- [Tied in Knots by Knotweed](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/sept-2009/) - Contact: K. L. Kyde, Maryland Department of Natural Resources | kerrie.kyde@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (September 12, 2009) - August and September are the months when Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) blooms in Maryland. This Asian perennial, which dies back each year but can grow to more than 10 feet tall in a single season, resembles a shrub, but
- [Dem “Yellows” Give Me the Blues](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/oct-2009/) - Contact: D. L. Clement (clement@umd.edu) or K. K. Rane (rane@umd.edu), University of Maryland Extension, or G. Moorman (gmoorman@psu.edu), Penn State University ANNAPOLIS, MD (October 5, 2009) - Elm yellows is a systemic disease of elms caused by a bacteria-like organism called a phytoplasma. The disease has been reported sporadically in Maryland for many years. Outbreaks are
- [Could Your Pet Be an Invasive Species?](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/nov-2009/) - Contact: Ruth Hanessian | animalexchange@verizon.net ANNAPOLIS, MD (November 2, 2009) - Perhaps. It’s up to you to ensure that Fluffy the cat, Frodo your pet frog and his aquatic hydrilla plant do not become one of the many non-native species that have become established and invasive in Maryland. In some cases, these non-native species are competing
- [Coming Soon to an Ecosystem Near You?](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/dec-2009/) - Contact: Jonathan McKnight, Associate Director for Habitat Conservation for the DNR Wildlife and Heritage Service | JMcKnight@dnr.state.md.us ANNAPOLIS, MD (December 1, 2009) - In 2004, Chris Griffin shot and killed a big feral hog on a plantation in Alapaha Georgia. He told his friends that it was 12 feet long and weighed 1,000 pounds. Word of
- [Weed Warriors](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/march-2015/) - Contacts: Meghan Fellows, MNCPPC | meghan.fellows@montgomeryparks.org Carolyn Puckett, Lead, Carroll County Weed Warriors | cpuck@comcast.net Anne Goodman, Volunteer Coordinator, Rockville Native Species Network | communitywildlifehabitat@gmail.com Matt Salo, Naturalist, Town of Cheverly | mtsalo1@gmail.com ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 4, 2015) - Take a look around your local natural area. What do you see? Hopefully, there is a healthy
- [The Gift That Keeps on Giving](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/april-2016/) - Contact: Colleen.Kenny, MD Dept. of Natural Resources - Forest Service | Colleen.Kenny@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 01, 2016) - The emerald ash borer (EAB) is an invasive beetle that has been in Maryland since 2003 and continues to increase its range throughout the state. Since the original detection in Prince George's County in 2003, the beetle has
- [Shining a Spotlight on Spotted Lanternfly](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/may-2016/) - Contact: Robert Tatman, MD Department of Agriculture | Robert.Tatman@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (May 01, 2016) - The spotted lanternfly, (Lycerma delicatula) is an invasive planthopper. It attacks many hosts including grape, pine, stone fruits and tree of heaven and has the potential to greatly impact the grape, fruit tree and logging industries. This is a new pest
- [Boaters Beware!](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/june-2016/) - Contact: Jay Kilian, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Resource Assessment Service | Jay.Kilian@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 01, 2016) - The 2016 boating season is here and it is time for all boaters who enjoy Maryland waters to take an active role in protecting them from the scourge of invasive aquatic species. So as you prepare for
- [Should Bee-Bee Tree be Avoided?](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/july-2016/) - Contact: Sylvan Kaufman | Sylvan.Kaufman@gmail.com ANNAPOLIS, MD (July 01, 2016) - One way to prevent new plant invasions is to be on the lookout for species that seem to be spreading into natural areas a little too aggressively. Which plants will be the next tree of heaven, running bamboo, or kudzu? Marylanders are on the lookout
- [MISC Meeting - January 21, 2016](https://mdinvasives.org/announcements/misc-meeting-january-21-2016/) - Thursday, January 21, 2016 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM National Agricultural Library Abraham Lincoln Building Multi-Purpose Room 10301 Baltimore Avenue Beltsville, MD 20705-2351 Visiting the National Agricultural Library Directions to National Agricultural Library NOTE: Follow signs to Visitor Parking. Walk in through main entrance up the hill, visitors must check in at the security desk.
- [Chronic Wasting Disease](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/jan-2013/) - Brian Eyler | Maryland DNR | beyler@dnr.state.md.us ANNAPOLIS, MD (January 1, 2013) - Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is one of several diseases classified as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, or TSE’s. Scrapie in sheep, mad cow disease (BSE), and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) in humans, are also TSE’s. While humans can contract vCJD from eating BSE-infected beef,
- [Exotic Earthworms](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/april-2015/) - Contact: Kerrie L. Kyde, Maryland DNR | Kerrie.Kyde@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 1, 2015) - Exotic earthworm species in the eastern U.S. provide an additional stressor for mature and successional forests already affected by disturbance, climate change, invasive insect pests and diseases, and overabundant white-tailed deer. Where native earthworm species were extirpated due to glaciation, or
- [Despite the Lycopene, Still a Bad Actor](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/march-2010/) - Contact: Carole Bergmann, M-NCPPC | Carole.Bergmann@mncppc-mc.org ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 3, 2010) - Over the years, plants that have become invasive were once thought to be beneficial – kudzu and multifora rose are famous examples. Autumn-olive could be included in that group; it and its cousin, Russian-olive, were touted as trees that “grew fast, grew anywhere, and
- [Feral Cats](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/april-2010/) - Contact: Brian Clark, University of Maryland Extension | bpclark@umd.edu ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 15, 2010) - Feral cats (Felis catus) are a perfect invasive species. They are non native to North America, have a high reproductive rate, relatively low mortality, and high dispersion rates. They also have the ability to be cute and cuddly, a perfect shield
- [A Familiar and Easily Overlooked Intruder](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/jan-2010/) - Contact: Bud Reaves, Anne Arundel County | IPREAV00@aacounty.org Norway maple, Acer platanoides L., was first introduced to the eastern United States in the mid to late 1700’s as an ornamental. and has become one of the most widely planted shade and street trees. The tree has been found here for so long most folks believe it is a
- [It is Not Holly](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/july-2010/) - Contact: Marc Imlay, Mid-Atlantic Exotic Pest Plant Council, Maryland Native Plant Society | ialm@erols.com ANNAPOLIS, MD (July 5, 2010) - Mahonia bealei is commonly known as leatherleaf mahonia or leatherleaf holly. Leatherleaf mahonia has been classified as highly invasive in southern states by the USDA and University of Georgia. So far investigation reveals that Mahonia bealei is a very serious
- [No Comparison Between Apples and ...](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/aug-2010/) - Contact: Marc Imlay, Mid-Atlantic Exotic Pest Plant Council, Maryland Native Plant Society | ialm@erols.com ANNAPOLIS, MD (August 9, 2010) - Trifoliate orange, Poncirus trifoliata is commonly known as hardy orange and has been found to be highly invasive in southern states. For example, it invaded floodplains along Robeson Creek in Chatham County, North Carolina, where
- ["Curse You, Red Baron!"](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/sept-2010/) - Contact: K. L. Kyde, Maryland Department of Natural Resources | KKyde@dnr.state.md.us ANNAPOLIS, MD (September 2, 2010) - Cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica), a perennial grass from southeast Asia, is considered one of the 10 worst weeds in the world. Covering billions of acres worldwide, it is well established in the southern United States as far north as
- [If You Have Allergies, Please Don’t Print This!](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/dec-2010/) - Contact: Mary Travaglini, The Nature Conservancy MD/DC | mtravaglini@TNC.ORG ANNAPOLIS, MD (December 9, 2010) - Mulberry paper is considered the “granddaddy” of all art papers. It has a neutral pH, and feathers beautifully while torn. The timber is useless, but the inner bark has been used for centuries to produce high-quality art papers, and once imported
- [An Unwanted Pine Pest Revisited](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/nov-2010/) - Contact: Bob Trumbule, Maryland Department of Agriculture | rtrumbule@erols.com ANNAPOLIS, MD (November 4, 2010) - The pine shoot beetle, Tomicus piniperda, is a European invasive species that was inadvertently introduced into the Great Lakes Region of the U.S. and detected in 1992. This small bark beetle now occurs in 17 states including Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and
- [Have you been Bamboo-zled?](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/jan-2011/) - Contact: Bud Reaves, Anne Arundel County | IPREAV00@aacounty.org ANNAPOLIS, MD (January 6, 2011) - One of the most useful plants in the world, bamboo is found throughout the temperate and tropical regions of the world. A commercially important plant, bamboo is used for everything from food to flooring and is one of the most easily recognizable
- [Save Your Bait, and Keep the Fishing Great](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/april-2011/) - Contact: Jay Kilian, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Resource Assessment Service | 410-260-8617 ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 1, 2011) - Anglers beware! What lies at the bottom of your bait bucket has the potential to damage Maryland’s ecosystems and the quality of your most prized fishing hole. Your favorite bait, the one dangling at the end
- [You Don’t Want a Stake in This!](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/june-2011/) - Contact: Marc Imlay, Conservation Biologist, The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission | (301) 442-5657 | Marc.Imlay@pgparks.com ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 2, 2011) - Perilla frutescens is commonly known as beefsteak plant. Beefsteak plant has become highly invasive in many habitats, displacing desirable native plants all over Maryland. Due to its increase in invasive qualities, the Maryland Invasive Species
- [Welcome Biological Control or Dreaded Plant Pest?](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/july-2011/) - Contact: Robert B. Trumbule, Entomologist, Maryland Department of Agriculture | rtrumbule@rcn.com ANNAPOLIS, MD (July 6, 2011) - Multiflora Rose, Rosa multiflora, a now common and widely recognized invader of old pastures, fencerows and right of ways throughout much of the Midwestern and Eastern U.S. was once hailed as a hero of soil and wildlife conservation. Planting of
- [Where There's a Wilt, There's a Way](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/aug-2011/) - Contact: Dave Clement, Entomologist, University of Maryland Cooperative Extension | clement@umd.edu ANNAPOLIS, MD (August 2, 2011) - Oak wilt was first described in Wisconsin in 1944 where trees were found dying in localized areas. This disease kills young and mature oak trees and has been found in 21 states. The predominant damage has occurred in the
- [Murdannia is Murder](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/oct-2011/) - Contact: Wesley M. Knapp, Maryland Department of Natural Resources | WKnapp@dnr.state.md.us ANNAPOLIS, MD (October 20, 2011) - Murdannia keisak, or marsh dayflower as it is sometimes called, is a beautiful wetland plant native to Asia, bearing small but showy purple-white flowers. Don’t let this plant’s beauty mask its true nature. It is a horribly invasive species establishing
- [Boxwood Blight](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/june-2012/) - Contacts:Karen Rane, University of Maryland Plant Diagnostic Lab | rane@umd.eduDave Clement, University of Maryland Extension | clement@umd.edu All boxwoods (Buxus species) are susceptible to boxwood blight, although some variation in disease severity among cultivars has been reported. In addition, Sarcococca (sweet box) and Japanese pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis) have been infected under laboratory conditions. There are other boxwood diseases that might
- [Spotting the Spotted-Wing Drosophila](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/oct-2013/) - Contact: Stanton Gill, IPM and Entomology Specialist, University of Maryland Extension | Sgill@umd.edu | http://extension.umd.edu/ipm ELLICOTT CITY, MD (October 1, 2013). Spotted wing drosophila (SWD), Drosophila suzukii, is an invasive, destructive pest, originating from Southeast Asia. It has recently been found in Maryland infesting blackberries and raspberries. SWD’s appearance in Maryland is why the Maryland
- ["I'm Back!"](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/feb-2016/) - Contact: Bob Tatman, MDA-FPM | robert.tatman@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 01, 2016) - The gypsy moth was brought to Medford, Massachusetts by amateur naturalist Leopold Trouvelot in the late 1860s. Cotton was in short supply in the aftermath of the Civil War and Trouvelot hoped to use the webbing of the gypsy moth a create a
- [An Unreasonable Facsimile](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/jan-2012/) - Contact: Tim Culbreth, Maryland Department of Natural Resources | TCulbreth@dnr.state.md.us ANNAPOLIS, MD (January 19, 2012) - Some invasive species have a native counterpart whose niche they invade and then try to outcompete for resources. Norway maple is an example. It is a very shade tolerant tree like the native sugar maple and even in appearance
- [Lords and Ladies Misbehaving](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/nov-2015/) - Contact: Carolyn Puckett, Carroll County Forest Conservancy Board | ccforestryboard@gmail.com ANNAPOLIS, MD (November 1, 2015) - No, we are not talking about indiscretions by European aristocrats. Our misbehaving "lords and ladies" are errant populations of Arum italicum, whose common names include "Italian arum," "orange candleflower," "cuckoo's pint," as well as "Italian lords-and-ladies." Like many of
- [Maryland Oaks Would Rather "See No Weevil"](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/aug-2017/) - Contact: Cathy Stragar, MDA | Catherine.Stragar@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (August 01, 2017) - A minor player on the invasive team's bench of heavy hitters, the Asiatic oak weevil is still an invader to watch, especially for forest managers and invasion ecologists. Indigenous to Japan, the Asiatic oak weevil was first detected in North America in July of
- [Zebra Mussel](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/april-2013/) - Contact: Ronald Klauda, Maryland DNR | 410-260-8615 | rklauda@dnr.state.md.us ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 15, 2013) - The zebra mussel, a small freshwater mollusk native to southern Russia and the Caspian Sea, was first discovered in North America in June 1988, in Lake St. Clair. Since this inadvertent introduction, zebra mussels have spread as far west in
- [Biocontrols for Invasive Plants](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/jan-2014/) - Contact: Marc Imlay, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) | Chair, Bio-Control Working Group of the Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council (MAIPC) | Cell: (301) 442-5657 | ialm@erols.com ANNAPOLIS, MD (January 1, 2014) Our tool kit for successful control of non-native invasive plants includes preventing new invasive species from coming in from Europe, Asia, and other continents; manual
- [Zebra Mussels](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/jan-2015/) - Contact: Matthew Ashton, Maryland Department of Natural Resources | 410‑260‑8604 | matthew.ashton@maryland.gov Zebra Mussels on Driftwood ANNAPOLIS, MD (January 1, 2015) - Named for its distinct dark and light striped shell, the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) is a small, triangular freshwater bivalve mollusk that attaches to hard surfaces with hairs called byssus. Like many other nuisance species,

## Pages

- [Species of Concern](https://mdinvasives.org/species-of-concern/) - The link categories above point to a representative list of species that are, or have potential to be, invasive in Maryland. It is by no means an exhaustive list, but includes species of great concern to the Maryland Invasive Species Council (MISC). MISC's Criteria for Selecting Invasive Species These lists include harmful non-native species of
- [Terrestrial Plants](https://mdinvasives.org/species-of-concern/terrestrial-plants/) - Non-Native Invasive Terrestrial Plant Species in the State of Maryland The species listed below are known to cause environmental or economical harm in Maryland or the region and are therefore a significant concern to the Maryland Invasive Species Council (MISC), a group representing broad environmental and economic interests across the state of Maryland. The table
- [Links](https://mdinvasives.org/links/)
- [Diseases and Other Organisms](https://mdinvasives.org/species-of-concern/diseases-and-other-organisms/) - The table below is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all invasive species in Maryland, but includes species of concern to the Maryland Invasive Species Council (MISC). This list includes all updates approved as of the April 18, 2024 MISC meeting. [table id=5 /]
- [Other Invertebrates](https://mdinvasives.org/species-of-concern/other-invertebrates/) - The table below is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all invasive species in Maryland, but includes species of concern to the Maryland Invasive Species Council (MISC). This list includes all updates approved as of the April 18, 2024 MISC meeting. [table id=4 /]
- [Insects](https://mdinvasives.org/species-of-concern/insects/) - The table below is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all invasive species in Maryland, but includes species of concern to the Maryland Invasive Species Council (MISC). This list includes all updates approved as of the April 18, 2024 MISC meeting. [table id=6 /]
- [Vertebrates](https://mdinvasives.org/species-of-concern/vertebrates/) - The table below is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all invasive species in Maryland, but includes species of concern to the Maryland Invasive Species Council (MISC). This list includes all updates approved as of the April 18, 2024 MISC meeting. [table id=3 /]
- [Aquatic Plants](https://mdinvasives.org/species-of-concern/aquatic-plants/) - The table below is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all invasive species in Maryland, but includes species of concern to the Maryland Invasive Species Council (MISC). This list includes all updates approved as of the April 18, 2024 MISC meeting. [table id=12 /]
- [The Maryland Invasive Species Council](https://mdinvasives.org/about/about-misc/) - Mission Statement As accepted June 13, 2000: "The MARYLAND INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL (MISC) provides leadership concerning invasive species and encourages efforts that prevent the introduction of, and manage the impact of, invasive species on Maryland ecosystems." The Maryland Invasive Species Council (MISC), established in April 2000, is a group of concerned scientists, land managers, business
- [Invaders of the Month](https://mdinvasives.org/iotm/) - Thumbnail Title Topic Scientific name Month Fur real, this pest can kill animals! Mouse barley Hordeum murinum ssp. leporinum March 2025 Palmer Amaranth: The Most Obnoxious Noxious Weed in Maryland Palmer amaranth Amaranthus palmeri July 2024 Watch out for Creepers on your Crapemyrtle! Crapemyrtle bark scale, Crapemyrtle Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae, Lagerstroemia indica March 2023 We are
- [About](https://mdinvasives.org/about/) - About MISC
- [Members](https://mdinvasives.org/about/members/) - Membership as of February 2018 Barkman, Gary Weed Control Coordinator Montgomery County Weed Control 301-503-6024 gbarkmansr@gmail.com Bell, Steven Plant Protection & Weed Management Section Nursery Inspector Maryland Department of Agriculture 443-452-8408 steven.bell@maryland.gov Bergmann, Carole Forest Ecologist Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council Maryland Native Plant Societycarole.bergmann@mncppc-mc.org Brunelle, Shelley Landscape Operations Division
- [My Posts](https://mdinvasives.org/my-posts/) - [frontier-post]
- [Pending Posts](https://mdinvasives.org/pending-posts/) - [frontier-post frontier_list_pending_posts="true"]

## Categories

- [Announcements](https://mdinvasives.org/category/announcements/)
- [Invader of the Month](https://mdinvasives.org/category/iotm/)
- [Meeting Minutes](https://mdinvasives.org/category/meeting-minutes/) - Minutes are recorded during each meeting. Prior meeting’s minutes are ratified by majority membership at each proceeding meeting.

## Tags

- [terrestrial plant](https://mdinvasives.org/tag/terrestrial-plant/)
- [aquatic plants](https://mdinvasives.org/tag/aquatic-plants/)
- [other invertebrates](https://mdinvasives.org/tag/other-invertebrates/)
- [diseases and other organisms](https://mdinvasives.org/tag/diseases-and-other-organisms/)
- [vertebrates](https://mdinvasives.org/tag/vertebrates/)
- [insects](https://mdinvasives.org/tag/insects/)
- [prevention](https://mdinvasives.org/tag/prevention/)
- [next meeting](https://mdinvasives.org/tag/next-meeting/)
- [Invasive](https://mdinvasives.org/tag/invasive/)
- [Fishing](https://mdinvasives.org/tag/fishing/)
- [Bait](https://mdinvasives.org/tag/bait/)
- [aquatic invasive](https://mdinvasives.org/tag/aquatic-invasive/)
- [Knotweed](https://mdinvasives.org/tag/knotweed/)
- [Biological Control](https://mdinvasives.org/tag/biological-control/)
- [Poison Hemlock](https://mdinvasives.org/tag/poison-hemlock/)
- [Apiaceae](https://mdinvasives.org/tag/apiaceae/)
- [Spotted Lanternfly](https://mdinvasives.org/tag/spotted-lanternfly/)
- [Crapemyrtle bark scale](https://mdinvasives.org/tag/crapemyrtle-bark-scale/)
- [Crapemyrtle](https://mdinvasives.org/tag/crapemyrtle/)
- [palmer amaranth](https://mdinvasives.org/tag/palmer-amaranth/)
- [invasives](https://mdinvasives.org/tag/invasives/)
- [Maryland](https://mdinvasives.org/tag/maryland/)

## Media Categories

- [Plants](https://mdinvasives.org/media_category/plants/)