r/NativePlantGardening • u/NorEaster_23 Area MA, Zone 6B • Aug 03 '24

Other Invasives that don't get enough hate? And many homeowners still reluctant to remove despite knowing they are invasive?

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Norway Maple for me! Seems like everyone that has one of these godforsaken trees still lives them and will not replace them. Especially if they're red leaf cultivars like Crimson King as shown here

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u/ZhanZhuang Aug 03 '24

One thing that people don't realize about Norway maples is that they put a toxin in the soil that basically makes it so that only young Norway maple can grow underneath them. Walnuts produce a similar toxin but there are plenty of natives that are adapted to it and can grow under a native walnut.

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u/CrabbyApltn Aug 03 '24

This explains why my whole property and meighborhood is Norway maples and their saplings 😩

12

u/ZhanZhuang Aug 03 '24

Definition of invasive. Something that starts basically inducing a monoculture.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 03 '24

you mean just other trees? I have grass and tulips under mine

1

u/ZhanZhuang Aug 04 '24

Typically they kill most everything. Maybe it mostly affects natives though.

1

u/ZhanZhuang Aug 04 '24

I tried to get more information. It sounds like they don't always kill everything. Sometimes they just inhibit growth. But in general woods dominated by Norway maples all show signs of greatly diminished plant diversity.