PAW PAW, Mich. — Though Japanese stiltgrass has been threatening forests and wildflowers in the southeast and Midwest for years, it has only been found in Michigan for the first time this fall. One of these patches is here in southwest Michigan, near the city of Niles.
Japanese stiltgrass, which was accidentally introduced when used as packing material, can grow quickly and densely, degrading forests. “Stiltgrass can smother and outcompete native wildflowers, forbs, and grasses,” says Eleanor Serocki, Coordinator for the SWxSW Corner Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area, “it’s been a major problem in other areas, so we have to work quickly to ensure it doesn’t become one here.”
The trick to managing any invasive species is to locate it early, before it can become established, especially since the seeds of stiltgrass can remain in the soil for up to 10 years. Because of this, the CISMA and the DNR are hoping citizens will keep an eye out on trails and roads, and during yard clean-up this fall. Stiltgrass looks almost like delicate bamboo, growing low (1-3ft) to the ground, with tapering leaves which have a distinctive silver midrib. It grows especially well in disturbed areas, roadsides, and wet forests.
If you think you have seen Japanese Stiltgrass, or if you have any other questions, please contact Eleanor Serocki at the CISMA at 269-657-4030×5 or eleanor.serocki@macd.org. More information on Japanese stiltgrass are also available at michigan.gov/invasives or misin.msu.edu.
The Southwest X Southwest Corner Collaborative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA) is a grant funded program to manage invasive species in Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren counties. With funding from the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program, the CISMA aims to help landowners and stakeholders in the Southwest Michigan area manage invasive species. If you have any questions on Invasive species, please contact the CISMA at (269)-657-4030 or email photos and address or latitude/longitude to: eleanor.serocki@macd.org.
— Van Buren Conservation District
For more news from Michigan, click here.
RECOMMENDED ARTICLES
AUGUSTA, Maine — Biologists from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) are asking for the public’s help looking out for two severely invasive plants: Stiltgrass (Microstegium vinimeum) and Perennial Pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium). The plants are only known from a handful of sites in Maine, and the goal is to eliminate them from […]
LANSING — Michigan’s Invasive Species Grant Program is now accepting proposals for the 2021 funding cycle, with an anticipated $3.6 million available to applicants. The program – a joint effort of the Michigan departments of Natural Resources; Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; and Agriculture and Rural Development – is part of a statewide initiative launched […]
LANSING — New sessions in the NotMISpecies webinar series will offer an abundance of information, resources and field experiences to help identify and manage invasive species in Michigan. Supported by Michigan’s Invasive Species Program, the regular, hourlong webinars are designed to keep participants informed of available programs, current research and emerging issues in the state and […]
LANSING — The North American Invasive Species Management Association has declared May 15-22 as National Invasive Species Awareness Week, an international event to raise awareness about the threat these species pose and what can be done to prevent their spread. According to NAISMA, invasive species – those that are not native and can cause harm to the environment, economy […]
AUGUSTA — “Together, we can do more” is the theme under which the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) is rolling out its 2021 National Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW) campaign. NISAW, February 22-26, is the annual program designed to raise consumer awareness of invasive species, the threats they pose, and what can […]
