[0:00] Ow. Ow. Gh. It's autumn in Minnesota. [0:03] Ow. One of the most beautiful times of [0:06] the year. The leaves have changed colors [0:08] to vibrant yellow, robust red, earthy [0:11] brown, except for this guy here, [0:15] buckthornne. It's still pretty green and [0:18] more than a little pokey. What is this [0:20] invasive species and how do we deal with [0:22] it? Let's find out. Ouch. Ow. Ow. [0:26] Brought to Minnesota from Europe in the [0:27] mid 1800s as a popular hedging material. [0:30] Buckthornne quickly spread from yards to [0:32] forests to parks to roadsides. It outco [0:34] competed native trees and shrubs and [0:36] plants in that mid layer of forest where [0:38] many species of birds nested. Today, you [0:40] can find it just about everywhere in [0:41] Chanhassen and in every county in [0:43] Minnesota. There's two main types of [0:45] buckthornne in Chanhassen and they look [0:46] pretty similar. Common buckthornne grows [0:49] to be about 10 to 25 ft tall in dried [0:51] moist areas. It has egg-shaped dark [0:54] green dull to glossy leaves. Its dark [0:57] round berry-like fruit grows in clusters [0:59] near the stem and persists until mid- [1:01] winter. The other type, glossy [1:03] buckthornne, doesn't grow quite as high, [1:05] 18 ft maximum, likes its soil a bit [1:07] wetter, and its leaves will change color [1:10] in the fall. This one can easily be [1:12] confused with their native choke cherry. [1:13] Its berry-like fruits, unlike its [1:15] cousin, don't persist into winter. [1:17] Buckthornne spreads quickly and makes it [1:19] really hard for young plants and trees [1:21] like this maple to reach sunlight. Aside [1:24] from choking out our next generation of [1:26] trees, other plants that provide habitat [1:28] and food for wildlife get choked out [1:30] too, out competing ground cover plants [1:32] that stabilize soil, buckthornne can [1:34] also lead to erosion and poor water [1:36] quality. Common buckthornne like this [1:38] can be spotted pretty easily this time [1:40] of year. If you have some buckthornne on [1:41] your property that you want to remove, [1:43] which you definitely should, here are [1:44] some methods to go about it. For large [1:46] plants with trunks 2 in or more in [1:48] diameter, cut the stem at the surface of [1:50] the soil. Treat the stump with an [1:51] herbicide. The best time to do this is [1:53] in late summer through the fall. So, [1:55] right about now. For smaller plants like [1:58] this one, you can use [2:01] this little guy. This here is a weed [2:03] wrench. You can use this to attach to [2:05] the base of the plant, wrenching it up [2:07] and out root and stem. The city has one [2:10] available for a 3-day rental, which you [2:11] can secure by contacting Chanhassen [2:13] Public Works. [2:15] For really small plants, you can just [2:17] use your hands. Boink. The Minnesota [2:19] Department of Agriculture recommends [2:21] letting noxious weeds like buckthornne [2:23] decay on site to reduce their [2:25] opportunity to spread. Never dispose of [2:27] buckthornne by throwing it in wetland [2:29] buffer areas, putting it in your trash [2:31] bin, or burying it. If you want to do [2:33] something with it, you can create brush [2:34] piles for wildlife. Recycle thicker [2:37] stems on slopes to reduce erosion, or [2:39] chip on site and pull out any new [2:41] growths in the spring. Never transport [2:43] and chip buckthornne offsite as it can [2:46] spread unchipped seeds. If you need to [2:48] transport unchipped buckthornne off [2:49] site, you can bring it to the brush dump [2:51] at Chanhass and Public Works. That's [2:53] buckthornne, a noxious weed and invasive [2:55] species that spreads quickly, chokes out [2:57] native plant life, and harms native [2:59] habitats and soil. But now you have the [3:01] keys to identifying it, as well as some [3:03] methods and tools to fighting it. Ow, [3:06] pokey.