Drive down any road in northeastern Pennsylvania or look in your own backyard and you will probably find non-native plant species, or “exotic invasive weeds” that are taking over. Those invasive plants quickly overwhelm and displace existing native plants because they grow and reproduce aggressively with few, if any, natural controls to keep them in check. Ecologists now rank invasion by exotic plants, animals and pathogens second only to habitat loss as a major threat to local biodiversity. 

Researchers have estimated that “exotic invasive species” (plants, insects and animals) are costing the United States more than $138 billion each year due to their impact on agriculture, forestry, fisheries, waterways, wildlife and ornamental landscapes.   

On Thursday, Nov. 6, a workshop titled “Managing Troublesome Plants: Weed and Invasive Plant ID and Management” will be held at the Luzerne County Emergency Management Agency Building in Wilkes-Barre from 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Experts from Penn State University will discuss landscape weed identification and management; exotic invasive plant identification and control, safe use of herbicides and pesticides, and control strategies for emerald ash borer, an invasive insect that has entered Pennsylvania and has killed over 150 million ash trees in the Midwest since it was detected in 2002. 

This program will help landscapers, nurserymen, arborists, park and grounds managers, green industry professionals, right-of-way personnel, municipal workers, foresters, and gardeners that are trying to manage troublesome plants in their landscapes. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has assigned credits for licensed applicators that attend this meeting.   

Pre-registration for this workshop is required before Oct. 30. For more information, interested persons may contact Penn State Cooperative Extension – Luzerne County Office at 825-1701 or 1-888-825-1701, or via email at jpe3@psu.edu.