It’s time for them to go.

So say a group of concerned conservation groups about purple loosestrife.  Like uninvited guests, these plants have altered the places they have put down roots.  Left unchecked, they will damage natural resources and the environment.

 “Early detection and rapid response are the keys to keeping our valuable natural resources clear of the invasive species that are heading our way,” stated Huron Pines Ecologist Jennifer Muladore.

Huron Pines, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that conserves the forests, lakes and streams of Northeast Michigan, created a Cooperative Weed Management Plan in order to address invasive plants such as purple loosestrife.  Other organizations including the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (MDNRE), the U. S. Forest Service and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service have joined the effort.  

The invasive purple loosestrife has been found on the Au Sable River, a high quality trout stream.  This invasive plant has begun its push to displace native aquatic vegetation on the river system, especially on the North Branch of the Au Sable River.  Local grassroots conservation organizations have started to push back. 

The Lovells Hook and Trigger Club and Au Sable North Branch Area Foundation initiated efforts to eliminate loosestrife along the river. MDNRE received funding to remove the plant starting with the North Branch Au Sable River and then moving to the Main, South, and East branches. Volunteers from the Au Sable River Property Owners Association completed an inventory on a segment of the Main Branch below Grayling in 2009 and are organizing a volunteer removal project modeled after the North Branch project, with technical support from Huron Pines.

“Our first year of attack on this invasive was 2008.  We had 18 volunteers, spent over 80 hours on the river, and removed 1,208 purple loosestrife plants,” Glen Eberly, a volunteer with the Lovells Hook and Trigger Club, explained.  “Last year we removed only 165 plants because there weren’t as many plants to remove. We’re definitely making progress.  This is year three of a five-year plan.  Then we’ll do an assessment of the North Branch to see where we stand.”

Loosestrife is highly adaptable, and came to this country through ship’s ballasts.  A beautiful plant when in bloom, it has also spread from gardens to the wild.  Most states have now banned the selling of this perennial.

Mature plants can grow to 10 feet in height, but are usually half that size.  They are bushy with multiple branches of lance-shaped leaves.  The purple flowers bloom from June to September.

The plant’s pretty appearance belies the fact that loosestrife is an aggressive invasive which can displace important natural vegetation, reducing biodiversity and negatively impacting the river ecosystem.

“The success of the efforts on the North Branch laid the foundation for further success on the other branches of the Au Sable. By partnering together, conservation groups will have a huge impact right away,” said Muladore.

Loosestrife prefers wet areas but can grow upland.  The seeds spread through wind, water, animals, machines and humans.  Once established, they grow quickly to become the dominate plant in the area.

Removal poses problems because if not properly handled, control efforts can result in spreading more seeds.  One plant can produce a million seeds. Pulling by hand is best done before seeding occurs in midsummer.  A narrow blade garden shovel is the most efficient tool.  The root ball must be removed or the plant will regenerate.  Plants should be placed in garbage bags, removed from the site and burned.  This has been the method of extraction on the North Branch.

Chemical and even biological—an introduced leaf-feeding beetle—are two other means of control.  Pulling the plants, however, will be the main approach on the Au Sable.

At present, the plan is to bring more groups and local businesses into the mix.  A plant as bold as loosestrife needs a concerted effort to stop it.  “We are contacting everyone from property owners to conservation groups on every section of the river,” said Eberly.  “We want to start pulling as soon as flowering occurs and inventory the entire river corridor to find any stray plants.” 

Because of the chance of spreading the plant, Eberly suggests contacting Huron Pines to get some training on proper removal. “We can send help too,” Eberly added.

Persons interested in removing loosestrife from their property or helping with its extraction from the Au Sable corridor should call 989-344-0753 ext. 31