By Abby Bezrutczyk
With the weather warming up in May, floating water primrose (Ludwigia peploides) has started to emerge in some important places. The LIISMA team was glad to have an inaugural kayak voyage to survey for and manage this species before it spreads, making new partnerships along the way in both Suffolk County and Staten Island.
After manual control visits of L. peploides at Artist Lake, Middle Island, for the past two years amassed a dozen garbage bags, the LIISMA team was eager to see how the plant populations responded in an early-season visit. On May 16, the team only found 8 individuals of the invasive plant, noting sizable populations of the native Ludwigia palustris in its place. As the season progresses, more of the invasive variety may emerge– that’s why repeat visits are already on the calendar.
The LIISMA Team also visited Wolfes Pond Park in Staten Island, this time to help NYC Parks and NYC H2O to plan their efforts to control L. peploides. Around the shoreline of this freshwater pond, the primrose was found in patches that will grow more dense as the season progresses. With the help of volunteers manually removing the plant over several visits this season and beyond, Parks hopes to protect this waterbody.
Keeping an eye out for the plant, and reporting it through iMapInvasives or iNaturalist is helpful to us! Find out how to identify this species and the impacts it causes by reading this month’s species spotlight!
