Pssst! Don’t look now but some bad guys are sneaking up on you. 

Mi Mi Osa and Lenny McPrivet are infiltrating the edges of our vital waterways and forests, according to the Freshwater Land Trust, which serves as our local version of the F.B.I.(=Find Bad Invasives).

The Bad Invasive list was created as a way to educate and advocate for the elimination of these two invasive plant species, which threaten the biological health of our community. 

Osa and McPrivet, otherwise known as Mimosa and Chinese Privet, made the top of the Bad Invasive list because they have such a major negative biological impact in the landscape.

What’s wrong with Chinese Privet? Don’t we all have it in our yards, serving as an evergreen, shade-tolerant hedge?

As the F.B.I. “most wanted” poster says, McPrivet threatens native forest throughout the Southeast, choking out native plans and disturbing wetlands and stream edges. His growth continues, doubling over the past 20 years and finding a great haven in Jefferson County.

A recent report by the U.S. Forest Service listed Jefferson as the county with the highest infestation in the country, estimated at 100,000 acres infested with privet (infestation is definied as at least 50 percent of the acre covered in privet).

Osa does her part as well, threatening forest edges along streams and roads where her seeds are easily dispersed by wind and water.

Land Steward Karl Peters, who manages and cares for Freshwater Land Trust properties in the Black Warrior and Cahaba River watershed, has battled both plants as part of his work in restoring bottomland and streamside properties.

“Because of the effort involved in getting rid of these plants, we usually tackle them as part of specific projects,” Peters said. For example, on Arbor Day in 2009, a tree planting project at Tapawingo also involved pulling privet on the site.

How you can help
How can you love your community by tracking down these two invasive species and other plants that have found a new and comfortable home in our community?

1. Don’t plant mimosa or any of 12 varieties of privet in your own yard. 
2. If you have it already, keep it trimmed back and don’t allow it to spread.
3. Follow the instructions below to eliminate mimosa and privet whenever possible.
4. Volunteer for Land Trust work days when cleanup projects are scheduled. 
5. Educate others about the dangers of invasive plants, which choke out natural plant species and n short, spread the word, not the seeds.   

Eradication tips
If you want to combat and kill these and other invasive plants in order to serve and preserve the native plants that make our community special, the key is to attack the roots.

For Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense), it may be possible to pull out a small plant by hand, but be sure to get roots and all. For larger plants, experts suggest using a tool such as a Weed-Wrench.

For Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin), young seedlings can be pulled up, preferably as soon as they are large enough to grasp but before they produce seeds.  Be sure to remove the entire root so that broken fragments do not re-sprout.

For both invasive plants, chemical herbicide also is effective, such as Roundup and Garlon 3A.  The F.B.I. sheet advises cutting the plant stem and immediately spraying it. It may be necessary to re-treat both Privet and Mimosa several times as they attempt to re-sprout.

Always observe methods that avoid damage to other plants or runoff into nearby streams. 

Check the website for the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health for more information or contact Karl Peters at the Freshwater Land Trust.