Salt Cedar (Tamarix spp.)
Background Saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) also known as tamarisk or smoke tree, is a rapidly growing deciduous shrub native to Eurasia and Asia. It was introduced to North America as an ornamental plant … Read more
Haley Gladitsch
Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)
History & Introduction Native to Brazil, this aquatic floating plant was first Introduced to the United States in the 1884 as an ornamental plant for water gardens during the Cotton … Read more
Princess tree (Paulownia tomentosa)
Princess Tree, Paulownia Tree, Empress Tree Paulownia tomentosa “A royal pain!” Family: Scrophulariaceae History & Introduction Princess tree is native to Western and Central China where it has been historically … Read more
Wisteria (Wisteria spp.)
Scientific Names: Wisteria floribunda, Japanese wisteria Wisteria sinensis Chinese wisteria Common name: Wisteria (referring to both species throughout this fact sheet) Family: Fabaceae History & Introduction Japanese and Chinese wisteria … Read more
Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum spp)
Names: Nodding star of Bethlehem (O. nutans), Common star of Bethlehem (O. umbellatum.)Family: AsparagaceaeLife Form: Bulbous perennial forb History & Introduction These white flowered perennials have been introduced to North … Read more
Yellow Archangel (Lamiastrum galeobdolon)
History & Introduction Yellow archangel (also known as yellow dead nettle or yellow henbit) is Lamiaceae (Mint) family plant native to Europe and has been introduced as a horticultural plant … Read more
Looking for invasive species is for LIFE!
Wherever you are on your naturalist journey, we are looking for people who want to be LIFERs — LIISMA Invasive Finders and Early Reporters, that is. We are hoping to cultivate a community of folks who want to assist in looking for invasive species throughout the LIISMA region; not only to add knowledge to our existing database of invasive species, but to also connect like minded invasive species spotters to LIISMA and to each other.
Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata)
In late November through early December, as most insects and plants head into a period of dormancy, the aptly named winter moth (Operophtera brumata) awakens from the soil. Native to Northern and Central Europe, they have been accidentally introduced several times to eastern North America since the 1930’s, where their larvae have been found defoliating our deciduous trees, preferentially oaks, maples and cherries.
LIISMA Subcontracts: The Sisters of Saint Joseph
Knowing that almost 40% of the invasive plants now in the US were brought in initially as horticultural plants, it’s no surprise that LIISMA has an astonishing number of tier 5 invasive plants (460 according to our records). If you’re not familiar with the New York State PRISM tier ranking system for invasive species prioritization, a tier 5 invasive species is one that is already found in a given area, but requires more information on its spread and ecological impact. Two such plants on this section of the tier list are tea Viburnum (Viburnum setigerum) and linden viburnum (Viburnum dilatatum).
Kashmir Balsam (Impatiens balfourii)
Kashmir Balsam/ Balfour’s touch-me-not (Impatiens balfourii) Family: Balsaminaceae Life form: Herbaceous Perennial History & Introduction Native to the Himalayas, this species of impatiens was first introduced to Southern Europe as … Read more
