Last year we discussed eradicating purple loosestrife from Tripp Lake. Volunteers, led by Americorps volunteer Susan Redmond, undertook a loosestrife survey of the entire lake. In one afternoon, the stands were counted and documented by Jack Quinn, Charlie Rodway, Claudie and Ron Getchell, Babs Shapiro and Ms. Redmond.

Susan’s no longer with Americorps, but another volunteer, Lara Bold, is completing a lake map as well as sector maps, indicating stands of loosestrife around the lake. Under her direction and the guidance of Phoebe Hardesty, we’ll attempt to eradicate this invasive plant. It will begin this summer and may take 5 years before we glean satisfactory results.

Our objectives are to increase public awareness of the problems associated with this noxious week, compile and maintain an inventory on Purple Loosestrife infestations and to document which methods of removal have been most successful.

Control measures appropriate for our lake are 1) mechanical (physical removal of the plant), 2) herbicide application (Garlon 4 and Roundup).

Mechanical removal: Digging up the entire plant including the roots is the most effective method for eradication as yet. The flowers must first be carefully clipped and placed into a plastic bag to prevent spreading of the seed. Then plants are removed with spade or shovel and placed in a black garbage bag, ready for burial at the dump…not to be disposed of in the woods. Clipping the stalk at the base has one major drawback; it promotes growth of several flower stalks the following year, increasing seed numbers and the potential for spread.

Herbicide application: must be done on dry land sites under supervision. This method has been most effective in Acadia National Park, but a permit must be obtained from the State beforehand. This will be an experiment in one area and its results compared to mechanical methods. Garlon 4 is most effective herbicide for control because it is selective and does not have any effect on "non-target" vegetation. Roundup also kills Purple Loosestrife but kills all vegetation, so it must be applied with singular care. It can be applied by first pouring some into a pail, diluting it with water and applying it to individual stems of plants with your hands, which should be covered with plastic bags and gloves.

Description of Purple Loosestrife: The most notable characteristic of purple loosestrife is the showy spikes of rose-purple flowers it displays in mid to late summer. It can be differentiated from other native species which also produce purple spikes (superficially resembling loosestrife) by a combination of other characteristics: It has flowers with 5-7 purple petals, the leaves are opposite or in whorls of 3, all lacking teeth; it has a stiff 4-sided stem that may appear woody at the base of large plants. It grows from 3-10 ft. tall, with an average height of 5 ft., blooming from early July to early September. It occurs widely in wet habitats, such as marshes, bogs, roadside ditches and in sedge meadows.

For more information you can visit websites: http://www.agric.gov.ab.ca/pests/weeds/eradication/p_loosestrife.html or http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/edu/VMG/ploosestrife.html.