Bridgton News cites UMaine Extension in article on invasive plant removal
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension was cited in a Bridgton News article about the Casco Board of Selectmen’s vote to allocate funds to eradicate the invasive Japanese knotweed and to provide follow-up services next summer. The article included descriptive information about the plant from the UMaine Extension website. “Japanese knotweed is a robust perennial herb that emerges early in the spring and forms dense thickets up to 9 feet in height. Thickets may be so dense that virtually all other plant species are shaded out. Large colonies frequently exist as monocultures, reducing the diversity of plant species and significantly altering natural habitat,” the website states. “Reproduction from rhizomes (horizontal underground stems), even small fragments, enables the plant to be easily transferred to new sites by flowing water and by soil used as fill. Unchecked, this plant can colonize extensively in riparian areas. Once established, it is difficult to remove.”