Buckthorn in Ottawa: Invasive Species Spotlight

The planting season is on its way, and this is always a good time to review some of the troublesome plants that we are combating in the Ottawa area. The insidious Buckthorn is making its way across our city, and make no mistake: it’s a tough one. To get the story on Buckthorn and what it’s doing in Ottawa, we asked David Barkley, Manager of Forestry Services for the City of Ottawa, to tell us a bit about this invasive species.

Q: WHAT IS BUCKTHORN? HOW CAN PEOPLE RECOGNIZE IT?

DAVID: It is a non native plant that was brought here as an ornamental shrub. There are two varieties in Ottawa: European and Glossy Buckthorn. It is a small tree with small rounded leaves and small fruit.

Q: WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL WITH BUCKTHORN?

DAVID: The issue with Buckthorn is that it is quite invasive and takes over open and grassed areas not allowing other vegetation or trees to grow in the area by shading them out, and it is difficult eliminate.

Q: WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR REMOVAL?

DAVID: Removal of Buckthorn is for the most part almost impossible or is a very daunting task on large sites.  The most effective way is done manually by pulling out the plant and the roots to discourage any possible new growth from the plant, but this will need to be done a number of times over a few years.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST WAY FOR A CITIZEN TO DEAL WITH BUCKTHORN?

credit: treetopics.com

DAVID: On private property, on a small scale, pulling the complete plant out is the most effective way, and disposing of the materials in the Green Bin program.

Q: ARE THERE OTHER WAYS TO CONTAIN IT OR KILL IT?

DAVID: Other methods that are much more difficult or where success is uncertain are spraying with chemicals (such as Round Up), burning off the site with fire, mowing and flooding.  All these methods have varied results and will need to be repeated a number of years to be successful.

Q: WHERE CAN PEOPLE GET MORE INFO?

More information is found on the internet at sites such as the Invading Species site or Tree Canada.    

Q: WHAT ELSE SHOULD PEOPLE REMEMBER?

DAVID: Communities can assist the City by partnering with us to carry out buckthorn removal and tree planting in their community parks to get a forest growing.

Well, there you have it: the down-low on the low-down dirty nasty Buckthorn! Take care of your gardens, parks, and forests by dealing with Buckthorn as early as possible. If you have questions or are participating in a Buckthorn community clean-up, contact 3-1-1.

About David Barkley:

David Barkley is the Manager of Forestry Services for the City of Ottawa.  David studied Traditional Forestry, before going on and studying Urban Forestry and becoming a Certified Arborist. David has worked in various areas from tree seedling production, silvicultural operations, tree care, tree protection during construction and invasive plants and insect that impact forests and urban environments.