To protect Tennessee's unique natural heritage from the ecological and economic harm of invasive plants through research, education, and policy. 

Management recommendations and photos can be found on our website.

Who knew that the tree touted as the greatest since the introduction of the crape myrtle would attempt to take over the south? I remember when every garden center sold Bradford pear trees. They had great symmetry with "candelabra branching", beautiful fall color, and early white blooms. Pyrus calleryana cultivars were here to stay. Boy, did they stay! Now, there's hardly an open field in Tennessee where the seedlings have not popped up. They were supposed to be sterile. However, the crossing that seemed to occur with the edible pear trees produced small viable fruit. Although they are not good for human consumption the birds do love them. Now they're spreading everywhere a bird will land...and deposit. Due to their invasive nature, native tree species should be selected to replace them in the urban/suburban landscape.

There are many native trees I would consider instead of planting more problem pears, with the same white blooms and rich fall color. However, my very favorite is the serviceberry.

Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.) naturally occurs in Tennessee from the Western Highland Rim eastward. There are four species in the state: Common or Downy Serviceberry (A. arborea), Smooth Serviceberry (A. laevis), Canadian Serviceberry (A. Canadensis), and the very rare Red Serviceberry (A. sanguinea). In the early spring, clouds of white blooms appear under the tall hardwoods of our deciduous forests. The blooms resemble clouds because of the growth habit of Downy Serviceberry - horizontal when growing in shade. Since Amelanchiers occur as mid-story trees (15-20 ft.) in nature, they perform well under bigger trees in the residential landscape. And they grow in shade OR sun. A serviceberry growing in sun will be more upright with more blooms, which turn into more berries.

If you ever get the chance to eat a berry, it's a treat. Serviceberries taste almost like a spicy blueberry. They make great pies. Red berries occur in the early summer when not many other trees have red fruit. This is a tree used most often in edible landscaping in urban-suburbia due to its size and production. I've installed many "serviceberry orchards" where anywhere from three to five trees were used in very small areas. Remember, it's a small tree. By mixing different species or different varieties the production increases.

The Smooth Serviceberry and the Canadian Serviceberry are excellent cross-pollinators. In fact, the most popular varieties are hybrids. These are called Apple Serviceberries Amelanchier x grandiflora. They are typically crosses of A. arborea and A. laevis. Some of the favorite cultivars are: "Cole's Select", "Forest Prince", "Princess Diana", and "Autumn Brilliance". The latter is of course known for its beautiful dark red fall color as well. Although the Canadian Serviceberry does produce some fruit it is not as heavy as the other species. It also tends to be more shrubby under cultivation.

Remove a pear and replace it with a serviceberry and then...let's eat!

Invasive Plant Treatment at the Oak Ridge Reservation

By Jamie Herold

In 1942, the Department of Energy acquired land for the 'Secret City' as part of the Manhattan Project. Today, the Oak Ridge Reservation constitutes 33,481 acres, with nearly 85% covered in fairly unfragmented and undeveloped forests, grasslands and wetlands. These natural areas include many rare species and unique habitats that are protected for research and education, and have thus been designated as a National Environmental Research Park, International Biosphere Reserve, and Tennessee Wildlife Management Areas. Nestled within these natural areas are multiple research campuses and sites aimed to meet the Department of Energy's mission goals and objectives. This makes the Oak Ridge Reservation a prime example of managing invasive species in areas with multiple land-use needs, and requires the cooperation of various organizations and contractors.

The "Invasive Plant Management Plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation" was finalized 10 years ago. Invasive species control has increased dramatically since this time, from 98 acres treated in 2003, to 950 acres this past year. The plan emphasizes an ecosystem based land-use management program to monitor and treat invasive plants. Treatment efforts focus on those species that pose the greatest threats to native species or DOE mission operations. Of the 54 aggressive non-native plant species on the Reservation, 18 have been identified as the most problematic. Top offenders include Japanese grass (Microstegium vimineum), Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense), kudzu (Pueraria montana), autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata), tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) and winter creeper (Euonymus fortunei). Emphasis is also placed on those infestations that are most feasible to contain or eliminate (e.g. new, small populations), as well as potential dispersal routes (e.g. roadways). In addition to the removal of invasive species, the management plan also calls for the quick revegetation of disturbed areas with desirable species, and the use of native landscaping on campus in order to help minimize the opportunity for invasive plant establishment.

February 7, 2015

TN-EPPC Memphis Community Workshop, Memphis Botanical Garden

More information will be posted soon on our website: http://www.tneppc.org/pages/home 

February 25, 2015

Belmont University (Opening Event at 4:00 PM)
Introduction to Invasive Species in Tennessee
Forming a Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area to combat invasive in Tennessee
Guest Speaker: Steve Manning, Invasive Plant Control Inc. Free event open to the public.

February 26

In conjunction with the TN-EPPC conference, Invasive Plant Control (IPC), Inc. is hosting a hike of the Warner Parks' Hill property, an urban old-growth forest, now a state natural area. A social with light hors d'oeuvres and drinks, provided by IPC, Inc. will follow. Hike will begin at 4pm, social will follow from 5-7pm. Directions and a map for the IPC hike and social are available here.
Registration for this and event below can be found through the TN-EPPC website
  

February 27, 2015

TN-EPPC at Twenty: A Look Back, A Vision Forward

We had to postpone our conference due to low registration numbers. We are hoping for a better turn-out at a less busy time of year. We will still have the same keynote speaker, Dr. Dan Simberloff, and a similar focus. More details to follow. Registration will open in October. We hope to see you there! http://www.tneppc.org/pages/home 

February 28, 2015 (from 9 a.m. to Noon)

Weed Wrangle - Nashville, TN 

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