This is the final of a four-part story to recap a virtual symposium conducted by Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group on “Strategies for Managing Invasive Plants: Assess, Remove, Replace, and Restore.”

Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG) hosted its 2022 virtual symposium with the theme of “Strategies for Managing Invasive Plants: Assess, Remove, Replace, and Restore” on November 3.

The full-day webcast took place from 8:30 am to 4 pm. It featured multiple sessions that covered terrestrial and aquatic invasive plant topics. Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of coverage from The Newtown Bee can be found online.

The symposium’s Session Six covered “Replacement and Restoration: Design; Propagating and Sourcing Native Seed.”

CIPWG Symposium Planning Committee Member Anne Rowlands, of Connecticut Gardener magazine, started off with her presentation about sourcing native seeds to use after invasives are pulled out.

“Whether you are focusing on restoration, pollinator support, or wildlife habitat, the best strategy for seeding open ground is using local ecotypes of wild species that are sustainably collected from your ecoregion,” Rowlands said. “Using seeds collected from more distant regions can affect wild plant populations, so you ultimately want to use seed that is indigenous to a site or to a region to protect those populations.”

She suggested always checking seed origin with the supplier, especially since the term “local” can mean many things to different people.

“One simple definition of an ‘ecoregion’ is an area defined by its environmental conditions, especially climate, landforms, and soil characteristics,” Rowlands said.

Based on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ecoregion map, the majority of Connecticut, including Newtown, would be in Ecoregion 59.

She highlighted Connecticut Northeast Organic Farmers Association’s two local initiatives that are working to increase ecotype seeds: the Ecotype Project and eco59.

Rowlands also had a handout that listed a variety of ecotype seed suppliers that she recommends using, including Ernst Conservation Seeds of Northwestern Pennsylvania, New England Wetland Plants Inc, Lavoie Horticulture (formerly Colonial Seed), Wild Seed Project of Maine, Helia Native Nursery at Sky Meadow Farm in Massachusetts, Toadshade Wildflower Farm in New Jersey, and Hudson Valley Seed Co in New York.

For seed harvesters and collectors, she suggests connecting with the North American Native Plant Society and the Northeast Wild Seed Collectors.

“I hope I was able to introduce you to at least one or two organizations that you weren’t aware of,” Rowlands said at the end of her talk.

To contact Rowlands, e-mail info@conngardener.com.

Propagating Plants

Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History Education Coordinator Jim Sirch followed with his presentation on “Propagating Native Plants From Seed.”

He started off by saying how once you have control over invasive plants, they should be replaced with native plants.

“Why would you propagate native plants from seed? Well, you are going to be helping pollinators. We all know that our native bees and insects are in need of help. Populations are declining in many species,” Sirch said.

Other reasons to propagate native plants from seed are to have genetic diversity, plants that are better adaptive to the climate, and cheaper plant options, as well as to gain the satisfaction of nurturing the plant into adulthood yourself.

Sirch said two books by William Cullina that he found useful in his propagating journey were The New England Wild Flower Society Guide to Growing and Propagating Wildflowers of the United States and Canada and Native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines: A Guide to Using, Growing, and Propagating North American Woody Plants.

Additionally, the free online resource “Seed Germination Theory and Practice” by Norman C. Deno is helpful, as it goes over different germination codes.

He explained that the rule for collecting wild seed is to “collect less than five percent of seed in an area” and “collect just a little from any one plant.”

Sirch said for seeds to stay viable some should be put in a paper bag to dry out while others need to stay moist and can be placed in a plastic bag in the fridge.

“Seeds have a built in dormancy to keep from germinating right away … whether it be a hard seed coat, which is a physical of mechanical dormancy, or some chemicals within the seed that prevent it from germinating,” he said.

Sirch went on to cover germination codes A through I, excluding E and F.

His slide detailed: Code A: Seed will germinate in four weeks if sown at 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Code B: Seed will germinate upon 70 degrees after 90 days moist, cold stratification at 40 degrees. Code C: Seeds germinate only after multiple cycles of warm and cold (typically 40-70-40-70). Code D: Seeds need a period of warm, moist stratification followed by cold stratification and will germinate after shifting back to warm (typically 70-40-70). Code G: Physical or chemical inhibitors in the pulp and skin of fleshy fruits. Code H: Seed requires light to germinate. Code I: Seed requires scarification because of an impermeable seed coat.

To create scarification for the latter germination style, Sirch said, “You take the seed and put them between two pieces of sandpaper for 15 to 20 seconds and then plant them.”

He gave tips he learned from germinating butterfly weed in a plastic gallon milk jug. Doing so helped the plant establish roots without getting eaten by predators.

To contact Sirch, e-mail james.sirch@yale.edu.

Designing With Natives

Concluding session six was Lisa Turoczi, of Earth Tones Native Plant Nursery in Woodbury, with her presentation titled, “Designing with Natives — Melding Function and Form.”

She explained, “The best way to provide for the native fauna is to provide native flora. There are so many creatures that rely on our native plants. It’s a symbiotic relationship and they co-evolved together.”

While some insects and animals use native plants as a food source, other creatures, such as caterpillars, utilize them as host plants. Monarchs love milkweed and cecropia utilize dogwood trees.

Turoczi recommends people always check if the plant they are purchasing is native. They can do so by visiting wildflower.org, plants.usda.gov, bonap.org, and gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org.

In addition to the aesthetics of a plant, she advises people learn where a plant thrives and then evaluate the soil, light, and water they will have for it to make sure it is compatible.

If someone is allergic or afraid of bees, Turoczi says to plant those pollinator plants on the outskirts of a property and avoid them near walkways or sitting areas.

Another piece of advice she offered was, “Do not plant nut bearing trees above a patio, pool, or house.”

For more information, Turoczi said for people to read Nature’s Best Hope by Douglas Tallamy.

Closing Remarks

Rowlands returned to give the closing remarks for the invasive plant symposium. She thanked all those involved in making it happen, including the sponsors.

She said CIPWG hopes to have an in-person symposium in the fall of 2024.

“We are so glad you joined us today, and I hope you learned something new,” Rowlands said.

For more information about CIPWG and to access symposium access handouts from the speakers, visit cipwg.uconn.edu/2022-symposium.

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Reporter Alissa Silber can be reached at alissa@thebee.com.