Story URL: http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=125281
Story Retrieval Date: 2/9/2010 8:55:32 PM CST
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Charles Berret/Medill
The Lincoln Park Conservatory's collection contains some plant species now controlled under Chicago's Invasive Species Regulations.
Chicago bans 14 plants to protect local flora
by Charles Berret
April 08, 2009
The Chicago Department of Environment identifies these newly banned plants species:
Akebia quinata
Chocolate Vine
Ampelopsis brevipendiculata
Elegans Porcelain Berry Vine
Anthriscus sylvestris
Wild Chervil
Celastrus orbiculatus
Oriental Bittersweet
Humulus japonicus
Japanese Hops
Leymus arenarius
Lyme Grass
Ligustrum spp.
Privet
Miscanthus sacchariflorus
Amur Silver Grass
Paulownia tomentosa
Princess Tree
Phellodendron amurense
Amur Corktree
Phellodendron japonica
Japanese Corktree
Polygonum cuspidatum
Japanese Knotweed
Quercus acutissima
Sawtooth Oak
Ranunculus ficaria
Lesser Celandine
The Chicago Department of Environment will now prosecute sellers and hobbyists alike who import, sell or possess oriental bittersweet, Japanese hops and princess trees, among others. Privet, a common shrub that can be found even in Grant Park, also made the list.
These 14 plants will join the list of restricted flora and fauna established in Chicago’s Invasive Species Regulations of May 2007.
“Invasive species cause great harm to our environment,” said Kay Havens, director of plant science and conservation at the Chicago Botanic Garden. “And when they have been demonstrated to do so in our region, regulation becomes necessary.”
According to the agency, invasive plants are those that are not prevalent in an area, but threaten to alter the native ecology and overrun native species in competition for resources.
Havens, who was on the panel that selected the invasive species list, said that one of the most problematic invasive species in the Chicago area is buckthorn, but garlic mustard, Canada thistle and teasel have already proven harmful.
“There have been cases in the past where other plants from different areas of the world have been major pests,” said Steve Meyer, a horticulturalist at the Lincoln Park Conservatory. “They compete for food, light and water.”
Global climate change makes an ecosystem particularly vulnerable to invasive species because new flora could be better suited to Chicago’s milder winters and hotter summers.
“Many invasive species thrive under disturbance,” said Havens “They do better under global climate change because ecosystems become unstable.”
Meyer noted that the label “invasive” is relative to the region where that plant is growing. “Any plant can become a weed in a certain part of the world,” Meyer said. He noted that water hyacinth, native to South America, now proliferates in Florida to the extent that it clogs waterways.
Businesses caught selling invasive species in Chicago face a fine of between $1000 and $5000, while a private grower can be charged between $100 and $500.
