Removing Invasives
Highland Park Before: burning bushes are easiest to find in the early winter. Pretty, but invasive.
Work began in the fall of 2023 focusing on Highland Park, Poet’s Seat, and Just Roots, all in Greenfield
Help remove invasive plants to make space for native plants.
“I find cutting back invasives very satisfying, and a great way to spend time with folks outdoors.” says Nancy Hazard, organizer of the Greening Greenfield clipping parties. “My motivation is to keep nature as healthy as possible, save trilliums and other wildflowers, and help restore our climate and increase biodiversity.” CLICK to learn why removing invasives are important.
It continues in the Fall of 2025
November 23, 2025: Adam, Denise and her son and grandson, Ellie, KathyC and RichardB and I revisited the road to the Poets Seat Tower. This was our 3rd clipping and we could see a lot of progress with shrubs being less vigorous, but we also saw babies – the seeds dropped from the large shrubs in the past are alive and well! We did about half of the work to be done on this road. Excitingly, we found two patches of hepatica, a beautiful spring flower that has evergreen leaves. Richard also brought his tiny chain saw which is awesome! See photos below
November 16, 2025: Denise, KathyC, and RichardB and I revisited the huge maple and Sycamore trees in Highland Park, and we saw great progress! This is the 3rd year working in this area that has beautiful trillium in the spring. Good news: NO burning bush berries! and most of the piles of brush had vanished!
In trying to remember our history at this spot, I believe the first year we spent two days there. The 2nd year, we spent one day reclipping and expanded our work down to the power line. This year, we did a 3rd clipping in one area, a 2nd clipping near the power line, and Richard made quick work of some large shrubs near the crest of the hill to the right (East) with an amazing tiny chainsaw! We are also making some headway with the barberry shrubs.
On our way back to the parking lot, we stopped and checked out and cut back the black jet bead shrub we discovered last year, as well as a few burning bushes on the trail from the parking lot to Bears Den road. What a satisfying day!
November 2, 2025 Last Sunday, 11/02, was amazing! Many thanks to the 11 people who came out. It was great to meet new people and reconnect with folks who have been working with us for several years. Thanks to Adam, Denise, Ella, Lyle, Elias, Lexi, Louise, Meg, Tom, Peter, and Richard.
We worked on the Bear’s den “exit road” from the parking lot to Crescent Street, and back through the woods to the swamp, and finished our work at 3:30! There is a lot of invasive honeysuckle in the area, but focused on the burning bush, and some barberry.
Maple leaf viburnum is everywhere in our woods. blueberries and fothergilla, that the like sun, are found in our yards.
March, 2025: Claire, Denise, Emily, John and I returned to the fence at Just Roots. With major multi-flora rose cut down Jan 19, we focused on bittersweet and grape vines on the fence that had grown last summer. Our goal was to keep them from growing more and setting fruit next fall.
May, 2025: Hurray! I have found that now is a great time to clip or break off new growth of the invasive plants. This keeps them from replenishing energy in their roots, and if they grow again that will deplete their resources even more!
We will continue to work along the Just Roots fence. Last month our resident botanist, Claire, pointed out two oriental honeysuckle shrubs that we will remove, and then we will continue along the fence and remove new bittersweet growth with the goal of keeping it from blooming and setting fruit next fall. No more multiflora rose spines!
As for successes in Highland Park, the trillium and toothwort have bloomed where we removed burning bush and barberry, and the bloodroot on the other side of the path bloomed as it has in the past, miraculously coming up through the non-native invasive vinca!
