Page 25 - Georgia Forestry - Issue 3 - Summer 2022

land and can provide a practice area of at least three acres are eligible to partic- ipate. Womack said between 2011 and 2021, the GFC has helped 389 landowners control invasives on 13,188 acres for a cost of approximately $725,340.
One invasive getting a lot of attention is Callery pear, a cultivar of Bradford pear. For many years the trees were sterile — not producing fruit. But in the 2000s, trees began to cross-pollinate and pro- duce abundant amounts of fruit that were spread by birds. More and more urban landscapes are suffering now because of the trees’ undesirable qualities, including weak structure.
“We always recommend native trees,” said GFC Sustainable Community For- estry Specialist Seth Hawkins. “It’s an educational issue in that people have to stop buying them and nurseries have to stop selling them.”
Another readily available invasive is English ivy, which is popular as a ground cover.
“It spreads through root rhizomes and once it goes vertical, it starts giving out seeds,” said Hawkins. “That’s danger- ous because a tree wrapped in English ivy is susceptible to wind shear and hides defects.”
While some invasive species can be visually appealing, such as mimosa, wisteria and even kudzu, trained eyes can be a big help in removing them to save native environments.
The GFC’s Forest Health Team is available to assist all Georgians with the identification and plans for removal of these undesirables. The GFC website at GaTrees.org contains in-depth materials on all invasive plants and pests affecting Georgia’s forestland.
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CALLERY PEAR
STASIA KELLY IS A MEDIA RELATIONS SPECIALIST WITH THE GEORGIA FORESTRY COMMISSION. STASIA IS FOCUSED ON TELLING THE STORY OF FORESTRY AND THE IMMENSE IMPACT OF THE INDUSTRY ON GEORGIA’S ENVIRONMENT, ECONOMY AND HERITAGE.
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