Harpswell Invasive Plant Partnership

Oh, purple loosestrife, why must you be so beautiful? With your strong, square-stemmed, upright posture peeking above the plants around you, wearing your cheerful, purple-flowered covering, is it because you're beautiful that you feel you can be rude and crowd out your neighbors?

Spring is almost upon us and leaves are popping out. Those early bits of green on shrubs and bushes likely appear on plants you don't want in your garden, like Japanese barberry and shrub honeysuckles.

Once again, it's the season to brave short days and long nights, smile, and prepare for planting time. That'll happen, but let's get the bad news out of the way first: According to the World Wildlife Fund, our planet has lost two-thirds of its wildlife since 1970, mostly insects.

What's yellow, climbs trees and utility poles, and has orange berries? Asiatic bittersweet, seen on a roadside near you every autumn. Even in early November, its yellow leaves can be seen climbing trees and poles throughout Harpswell.

Why is it important to make way for native plants? Our birds and bees depend on native plants for their survival. Many species have evolved over centuries to utilize specific plants for food and shelter.

When the Harpswell Invasive Plant Partnership was launched a few years ago, we consulted with the invasive plant specialists at the Maine Natural Areas Program. They recommended including the two invasive buckthorns on our list of 20 target plants for Harpswell.

Harpswell is justly proud of the spirit of volunteerism exhibited by its residents, both year-round and seasonal. Even so, it's sometimes hard to muster the needed "person power" to do what needs to be done.