Chanhassen Educates Residents on Buckthorn Removal Methods
The City of Chanhassen has released educational guidance to help residents identify and remove buckthorn, an invasive plant species that has spread throughout Minnesota since its introduction from Europe in the mid-1800s.
The city's presentation outlines identification techniques for the two main types of buckthorn found in Chanhassen: common buckthorn, which grows 10 to 25 feet tall with dark green leaves and persistent berries, and glossy buckthorn, which reaches up to 18 feet and prefers wetter soil conditions. The glossy variety can be confused with native choke cherry but differs in that its berries do not persist through winter.
For removal, the city recommends different methods based on plant size. Large plants with trunks two inches or more in diameter should be cut at soil surface and treated with herbicide, with late summer through fall identified as optimal timing. Smaller plants can be removed using a weed wrench tool, which Chanhassen Public Works makes available for three-day rental periods.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture recommends allowing removed buckthorn to decay on-site to prevent spreading. The city advises against disposing of buckthorn in wetland buffer areas, trash bins, or by burying. Residents who need to transport unchipped buckthorn off-site can bring it to the brush dump at Chanhassen Public Works.
Buckthorn threatens native ecosystems by outcompeting indigenous plants, reducing habitat for wildlife, and contributing to soil erosion and poor water quality. The invasive species now appears in every Minnesota county and throughout Chanhassen.
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- Chanhassen residents urged to remove invasive buckthorn threatening local forest biodiversity and water quality.
- City of Chanhassen offers weed wrench rentals to assist citizens in invasive species management.
- Environmental risks of buckthorn proliferation, including soil erosion and destruction of bird nesting habitats.
Source document
[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.
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Other Topics from This Document
Identification of invasive buckthorn species
Environmental impact of common and glossy buckthorn
Methods for buckthorn removal and eradication
Proper disposal and management of buckthorn waste
City of Chanhassen resource rental programs
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