Management of 𝘔𝘪𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘷𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘶𝘮 Underway Along Trails

It’s that time of year again! The part of the growing season when invasive species management efforts at Reflection Riding are focused on an exotic grass, Microstegium vimineum. M. vimineum has a silverish stripe down the middle of its alternate leaves, which is a distinguishing characteristic of this non-native grass.

M. vimineum goes by a variety of common names like Japanese stiltgrass, Nepalese browntop, Chinese packing grass… all describing the area of the world where this species evolved. It was introduced to North America accidentally in the early 1900’s as packing material for shipping porcelain - it’s basically the equivalent of the styrofoam peanut - and is just as profuse!

M. vimineum is an annual grass that flowers and sets seed in the latter part of the growing season.  Given the right conditions, its seeds could remain viable in the seed bank for up to seven years!  Its seeds have tiny hairs that act like velcro and are transported along trails by wildlife and hikers.

Management for M. vimineum has been happening along the trail system at RR since the summer of 2018.  The upper parts of the property are becoming relatively clear of this invasive pest.  The lower parts are still overrun, and in some places there is a complete monoculture in the herbaceous layer of the forest. 

M. vimineum can be managed by mechanical or chemical means; the object is to interrupt the life cycle and prevent production of viable seed.  Small infestations or those close to sensitive species are hand-pulled.  The general strategy for management at Reflection Riding is to keep the upslope areas from becoming reinfested and to chip away at the downslope areas as time in the growing season permits.

If you see our Land Conservation staff out on the property hiking with a backpack sprayer during August, you can bet that their target is Microstegium.  Wish them luck on their quest to get as much of it as possible sprayed before it sets seed!

The Pinetum understory immediately south of the Philp Garden is an area with patches of M. vimineum infesting the forest floor.