If you spend any time outdoors in natural settings you have probably encountered buckthorn. It is a small tree with dark, scaly bark that can rapidly fill a natural area with its prolific seeds that are spread by birds. A formerly open area can become a dense thicket of thorny branches. A quality woodland can be overtaken and the ground can become shaded out, so wildflowers and naturally occurring oaks, hickories, dogwoods and other native, beneficial plants can’t get the sun they need to survive. It can block your view into the woods or natural areas in or behind your yard. And, although birds do eat its black berries, the berries have little nutritional value and cause diarrhea. So, removing buckthorn does not remove any valuable part of the natural wildlife habitat and in fact will help it. If this describes parts of your yard, you can do something about it, with loppers, handsaws or a chain saw if you have one. February is a very good time to do the work, since the leaves are off, making your work easier.

Here is what you need to do (in case anyone asks, this is the cut stump method of woody invasives control): First, identify if you have a problem. The image shows some good identifying features of buckthorn in the winter. If you have questions, you can contact Rick Meader, the Novi Landscape Architect at rmeader@cityofnovi.org or 248-735-5621. He can help you identify what is good and what is a problem.

Second, if you do have buckthorn on your property that you would like to remove, buy some herbicide with the active ingredient of either triclopyr or glyphosate. You’ll need the active ingredient concentration to be at least 20%. Check the label. You can dilute down to 20% if what you get is higher than that. Use something like RV antifreeze to keep it from freezing when you apply it. RV antifreeze doesn’t taste good so animals won’t like it and lick it like they might with automobile antifreeze. Put the chemical in a spray bottle and add a little dye or food coloring so you know where you’ve sprayed. Without the herbicide, anything you cut will surely sprout back.

Third, loppers will work for small plants (1” diameter or smaller) but you will need geared loppers or a saw for larger plants. Cut the plant down as low to the ground as you can and immediately spray the cut stump with the herbicide. You can also use a sponge or brush to apply it. Try to limit the spray to just the stump so you don’t waste it. In the growing season you want to be sure you don’t spray good plants nearby which could be killed, but at this time of year that’s not a concern if you’re using glyphosate or triclopyr.

Fourth, after you cut a plant down, cut up the cut material so it lays fairly flat on the ground so it’s not a negative visual impact, or make piles of the cut material that small animals like rabbits and birds can use for cover. You can do the above method anytime between July 1 and the end of February, but you don’t want to do it in late winter/early spring when the sap is flowing up into the branches, because the herbicide needs to get into the root system to kill the plant. If you don’t want to use herbicide, you can also repeatedly cut off the top of the plant and new sprouts to weaken the plant and eventually deplete the energy in the root system so it dies. This takes more consistent effort but can be done throughout the year, without chemicals. You’re likely to have resprouts over time, so keep the chemicals and cutters handy for future work, but eventually, even in an area with heavy infestation of buckthorn and other woody invasive species, your natural area will regain a healthy condition and be a welcome home to songbirds and other wildlife. So, get going, time is running short for this winter.