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rosa multiflora

 Start as you mean to go on…

And in my case, just start! 

It’s now 2024, and my last post is from 2020. 

I wish I had documented little things over these years. It would be amazing to look back on now. 

This spring I have been working on removing invasive plants from around my house. 

Recently I have been tackling a big thicket of multiflora  rose- which my housemate, Elyse, called “evil rose” with much feeling. Multiflora rose is invasive, spreading prolifically and unhelpfully crowding out native plants. It is also really thorny and annoying. When the long canes touch the ground they root and send out new shoots. It's a mess. 


Multiflora rose is native to Korea, Japan, and China. 

Unfortunately I don’t have before and after photos- just a half-way-through photo. 

Although the picture above is in my backyard my bigger concern is the woods. There are branbles growing everywhere in the woods. Mostly multiflora rose and wine berries. This year I have started wearing a fanny pack (waist bag? bum bag? Mine is officially a 2L waist pack from REI) thanks to the combination of lack of pockets and small child. I have started carrying hand pruners around with me at all times. 

I am also reading Food Not Lawns, published in 2006 by Heather Jo Flores, and she says that our goal should not be weeding and erradicating certain species from the land around us, and that we, homo sapiens sapiens, is the most invasive species there is. I can't disagree, even though I wouldn't mind if multiflora rose was missing from the current ecosystem around my house. I could live without the native black locust, too, but I doubt the bees would agree. More on invasive plants, permaculture, and my new favorite chocolate covered peanut butter balls which are secretly made with chickpeas later!

Go identify some plants! 

Bx 



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