Pulling up all the invasive plants

Don't be deceived by beauty!

Vinca, aka periwinkle, may be pretty but it's pretty awful for our native species, forming dense and extensive mats along forest floors that exclude native vegetation. Native to Europe, it was introduced in North America in the 1700s as an ornamental plant and is still commonly sold as a ground cover.

While working on this site, our crew uncovered a tulip poplar, which is native to the RVA region. Tulip poplars serve as the primary host for the larval stage of the Eastern swallowtail butterfly and also provides foods for several species of moths. The tree is a favorite nesting tree for birds and its nectar-rich flowers attract hummingbirds and native bees.

Some other fun facts about tulip poplars: Musical instruments (notably organs) and wooden toys are made from its wood. Because it has a reputation for being resistant to termites, tulip-poplar beams often were used for house and barn sills, and indigenous populations used its wood for their dugout canoes. Early settlers often called it "canoewood" and you still find its wood used in boatbuilding today.

To wrap this up, removing invasive species is like a rescue mission for many wonderful things in our local food webs and our search for self-sufficiency! Onward with the undoing ruin!