This is the time of year that people start thinking about decorative wreaths. Although the fact in unknown to most, these holiday wreaths can harbor an invasive species. Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) is a very aggressive invasive vine that invades forests and forest edges across the eastern United States. It is very prevalent in Southern Illinois. Oriental bittersweet is a popular vine for making wreaths because of its showy red berries and bendable vines. However, when you discard that wreath in the spring, you could actually be planting bittersweet on your land. Learn to recognize bittersweet and other invasive species by visiting the River to River CWMA website at:
http://www.rtrcwma.org/species.html.
Also, here is a link to a article Oriental bittersweet and wreaths:
http://concord.patch.com/articles/pretty-perilous-plant
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The River to River Cooperative Weed Management Area is a partnership between 12 federal and state agencies, organizations, and universities aimed at coordinating efforts and programs for addressing the threat of invasive plants in Southern Illinois.
River to River is Focused On
- Research
- Control & Management
- Prevention
- Early Detection & Rapid Response
- Education & Public Awareness