Any of these faces look familiar? Chances are, if you’re a gardener, you’re well-acquainted with most of them!
Early season ‘weeds’ are popping up everywhere, and while many offer a springtime food source for pollinators, introduced species such as those pictured have the potential to become problematic.
For example, hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) has seeds which spread through ballochory, or explosion–the lightest touch to a ripened pod sends the seeds flying far and wide (up to 16 feet!), to return in spades next year. And garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is a well-known offender. Not only does it spread readily via its plentiful seeds, but it’s allelopathic, releasing chemicals that prevent other plants from growing–including native perennials, trees and shrubs.
So get out there now and “weed it and reap” the benefits of a well-edited pollinator habitat!
