New Jersey Nature Nut : April 2013

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica)(Reynoutria japonica)(Polygonum cuspidatum)

White clover is Trifolium repens. The name means three-leaved creeper. It is native to Europe, intentionally introduced here as a green fertilizer. It used to be included with most any lawn grass seed, as it will cover areas that the grass would not. Nowadays it generally isn't included as the trend is toward pure stands of grass only.

The stems can root at any node, so they form mats of vegetation. The white lines on the leaves are distinctive, but not always present.

clovers work with bacteria in their root system to fix nitrogen in the soil. According to Hopkins, the bacteria need an oxygen-free environment to do their thing. Clovers have nodules in their roots which are pink because they contain hemoglobin (yes, the same substance that carries oxygen in red blood cells) to remove any stray oxygen from near the bacteria. Wow.

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

Garlic Mustard, Alliaria petiolata (or A. officinalis), is a really common weed from Europe. It grows in huge batches in shady, infrequently mowed areas. It is biennial, flowering the second year. The first year plants are low-growing and look like an attractive ground cover, but the taller second-year ones, not so much.

The flowers are small and not obvious. They are followed by skinny pods, like most mustards. The leaves smell of garlic (and Alliaria means garlic-like)

Garlic mustard suppresses the growth of most other plants where it is present, and produces astounding quantities of seeds which can germinate many years after they fall to the ground. In addition, deer avoid it, so here in suburban New Jersey, where deer are literally the most commonly seen mammal after humans, dogs, and cats, it has a huge advantage over native plants.