Page 22 - Georgia Forestry - Issue 3 - Summer 2022

TOP TWELVE NON-NATIVE INVASIVE PLANTS
(Using Forest Inventory and Analysis Data in Acres)
“Yard by yard, inch by inch, we take out a chunk of it every year,” said McWhirter. “Gotta take it in small bites and we get about five acres treated every two years.”
Beware the
‘Dirty Dozen’
Trifoliate orange, also known as “hardy orange,” is just one of the invasive plant species that is plaguing Georgia land- owners. In fact, there are 12 others that have earned a ranking on the GFC’s “Dirty Dozen” list of plants wreaking havoc across the state. (See accompanying table.) Trifoliate orange and Callery pear have recently battled for the 12th spot on the list, indicating there are actually at least 13 troublesome species causing concern. Each species listed has its own distinct characteristics and treatment formulas, so assistance from the GFC Forest Management Team has proven to be a valuable resource for landowners.
As a group, these invasive species have caused untold amounts of damage to the forests in Georgia. Quantifying the impact is, however, complicated. Acres not used due to infestations? Income not realized because of harvesting hardships?
2021 Dirty Dozen List
Rank
Species
2019 Acres
2017 Acres
2015 Acres
2015-2019 Average Acres
Trend
1 Non-nativeprivet 716,930 3 Chinaberry 54,990 5 Kudzu 32,850
644,317 718,311 47,757 58,064 30,961 36,968 19,456 22,631 12,981 12,744 11,647 15,180
693,186 53,604 33,593 22,269
14,135 12,332
Stable Stable Stable
Increasing
Increasing Decreasing
Stable
2
Nepalese browntop
93,110
90,204
106,194
96,503
Stable
4
Non-native lespedeza
47,870
35,862
44,175
42,636
Increasing
6
Chinese tallowtree
32,290
24,321
19,724
25,445
Increasing
7 Non-native olive
9 English Ivy
24,720 16,680
8
Japanese climbing fern
20,280
19,978
19,724
19,994
Stable
10
Wisteria
14,000
7,874
9,902
10,592
Increasing
11 Mimosa 10,170
(Chinese silk tree)
Cogongrass control efforts* (acres) (12/31/2021)
12
Callery pear (Bradford pear)
10,040
5,400
1,623
5,688
Increasing
418 348 303
72 counties have had cogongrass detections since 2007, and to date 34 of the 72 counties have no active cogongrass. Georgia’s proactive treatment program assists landowners across the state, and 85% of all known cogongrass spots in Georgia are considered inactive. The Georgia Forestry Commission documents all known cogongrass infestations.
Invasive Species: Any plant or animal that has been introduced and aggressively competes with and displaces local native communities; normally having no native enemies to limit reproduction and spread
The Dirty Dozen List of Non-native Invasive Species is ranked by the total acres occupied according to Forest Inventory and Analysis data. Honeysuckle and fescue are not included in this list. Credit for the data used to make this list to the US Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis Program and The Georgia Forestry Commission FIA Foresters.
20 | GEORGIA FORESTRY