Re: Invasive aroids?

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I just finished an experiment with Pistia here in Michigan. Michigan State University and our local garden park called Belle Isle both list it as invasive. So, last spring (2017) I planted a 5-gallon pail with some (and one other aquatic species, which was also condemned as invasive) and included a few clay pots near the water surface so that they could seek out substrate with their roots. The pail was then "planted" such that its rim was about 3-4 inches above the soil line. Over last summer, both species definitely grew profusely. But then, when the temperatures began to slide below freezing, both species took a turn for the worse. This past spring the Pistia were already gone to mush. The other species had a few weak strands of their stems, but those decayed and disappeared over a few weeks. Now it's August and there is absolutely no trace of either.

Do they grow well when conditions are right? Yes, definitely. Are they "invasive" in climates that freeze? It does not look that way, at least not in Michigan where freezing is robust over many months. It would seem that calling a species invasive would require that it be able to survive year-round in a specific climate/location.

I do also have an Arum italicum and it survives our winters just fine. I clip off the seeds before they ripen and submerge them in boiling water. They do not survive boiling. The parent plants grow pretty well here, but I don't know how well they have to grow before they are judged as "invasive." In my yard, the native Jack-in-a-pulpit is a weed. I have a hundred blooms each spring on my quarter acre lot. And they pop up everywhere. Most local gardeners are jealous. Is that invasive? It is a native.

Ted Held.

On Wed, Aug 15, 2018 at 10:41 AM, a sunjian <a*@gmail.com> wrote:

Whether or not a species becomes invasive definitely depends on the environment and climate (and especially the temperatures as you mentioned below)

Outside the Araceae, I know that cogongrass (Impereta cylindrica) is extremely invasive in subtropical and tropical regions around the world, but there is a variety here in the northeast USA that is valued as an ornamental called Japanese Blood Grass:

http://plantinfo.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Imperata-cylindrica-%E2%80%98Re.jpg

Unfortunately, it's the same species, and it has been shown that the variety will revert back to the all-green form and become invasive when grown in an environment more conducive to its tropical nature.

On Tue, Aug 14, 2018 at 10:30 PM, Michael Kolaczewski <m*@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

Greetings,

Pinellia has yet to show up here in Illinois 

( I believe )

   There are escapes of Pond Plants, and aquarium plants  from time to time, Pistia Among them.

    So far, our winters, and below zero F° seem to be holding off  some, but not all of these submerged or emerged  plants, but that could change over time. 

MJK 

   

   

  

On Aug 14, 2018, at 3:13 PM, a sunjian <a*@gmail.com> wrote:

Ahhhh...great...thanks all...I took a look at Pinellia, and it is indeed a hard to get rid of invasive here in the northeast.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.cce.cornell.edu/attachments/1985/crowdipper.pdf?1408469384

On Tue, Aug 14, 2018 at 3:33 PM, Ertelt, Jonathan B <jonathan.ertelt@vanderbilt.edu> wrote:

Cannot agree loudly enough about the Pinellia, the fruit is barely noticeable but I now have it all over my yard and it is difficult to get back in bounds once escaped. Around here (Nashville, middle Tennessee) Arum italicum could probably become invasive, but the leaves are obvious enough that it can be pulled or dug and shared with a warning. But my experience with the Pinnellia spp. tells me to refuse to share this one most seriously. Never have tried Gonatopus outside – would be surprised to find it seed hardy this far north, but it might be – don’t think I’ll test it out. Good Growing!

 

Jonathan

From: <aroid-l-bounces@www.gizmoworks.com> on behalf of a sunjian <a*@gmail.com>
Reply-To: Discussion of aroids <aroid-l@www.gizmoworks.com>
Date: Tuesday, August 14, 2018 at 1:57 PM
To: Discussion of aroids <aroid-l@www.gizmoworks.com>
Subject: [Aroid-l] Invasive aroids?

 

I'm wondering whether there are any aroids that are considered invasive? I know some aquatics can be (e.g. Pistia stratiotes), but what about any land-based ones?

 

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