Article By Maddy Masucci, MNDNR Cooperative Forest Management Forester
The warmer weather may have you thinking about getting outdoors and doing some gardening or landscaping. Maybe you already have a plan to plant a new tree, shrub, or perennial this year and are looking for the perfect species to add. In your endeavors to find a great tree or shrub, you might encounter Amur maple. This is a small, deciduous tree with brilliant red fall foliage - making it a sought after tree species to plant. This maple is sold and planted all over Minnesota. However, many people don’t know that Amur maple is an invasive species that invades natural areas and crowds out native plants. The ability to take over grasslands, prairies, and woodlands has landed Amur maple on the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Noxious Weed List.
The Noxious Weed List is broken down into three categories - State Prohibited Noxious Weeds, Restricted Noxious Weeds, and Specially Regulated Plants. All three of these categories include plants that can be detrimental to human or animal health, native ecosystems, infrastructure, or crops. Depending on which category a plant is in, there are different required actions including eradication, control, or regulation. Regarding Amur maple, the special regulation is that sellers must affix a label directly to the plant or containers packaging that advises buyers to only plant it and its cultivars in landscapes where the seedlings will be controlled by mowing or other means. Note that Amur maple seeds are dispersed by the wind, so trees should be planted at least 100 yards from natural areas. However, over time, if the space between the tree and natural area is not maintained, Amur maple will make its way into the natural areas.
The Noxious Weed List can be a great tool to help you avoid planting a species that could negatively affect our environment. Be sure to check the list yearly, because new species are added. For example, the following species were added in 2020: Japanese honeysuckle, Bohemian knotweed, Siberian peashrub, European alder, Norway maple, and winged burning bush.
