GONE to SEED
considers the ornamental origins of Minnesota’s invasive plant species. Each botanical illustration sprawls over the boards in lavish patterns enveloping the walls of the gallery. The series challenges the viewer to reconcile the allure of these intricate and beautiful plants with their harmful impact on the ecosystem.
Recently on view at Silverwood Park.
Garlic Mustard | Alliaria petiolata Oil on board, 10 x 26
Pull plants prior to flowering to reduce the spread of seeds. Native plants have a hard time competing with Garlic Mustard. It can spread into high quality woodland habitats, not just disturbed areas. Originally, brought to the US as food.
Crown Vetch | Securigera varia Oil on board, 10 x 32
Find alternative cover crops. Monitor for several years. Crown Vetch overtakes and suppresses other vegetation, covering several acres of land. Widely planted in the 1950s, it is native Central and Eastern Europe.
Glossy Buckthorn | Frangula alnus Oil on board, 10 x 18
Uproot small plants. Reduce disturbance to soil. Buckthorn is a serious threat riparian, wetland, bog, and meadow habitats in Minnesota. It was introduced as an ornamental shrub and used as a living fence.
Japanese Barberry | Berberis thunbergii Oil on board, 10 x 22
Effective treatments need to be followed by herbicide. Japanese Barberry can become a dense monoculture replacing the diverse understory. Grown for deer resistance, wildlife will feed on easier-to-eat native plants.
Oriental Bittersweet | Celastrus orbiculatus Oil on board, 10 x 16
Do not collect or use stems for decorative purposes. Oriental Bittersweet vines twine around trees resulting in girdled and smothered trees and shrubs. The hardiness and showy fruit contributed to its popularity as an ornamental.
Japanese Knotweed | Polygonum cuspidatum Oil on board, 10 x 24
Do not cut or mow knotweed. Eradicate existing plants. Tall, dense thickets displace vegetation, degrade habitat, and can alter waterways. Before escaping cultivation, Japanese Knotweed was prized in many famous gardens.
Amur Maple | Acer ginnala Oil on board, 10 x 30
Dig and remove root crowns. Control saplings by mowing. Amur Maple can alter habitats, invading prairies, grasslands, or woodlands. Planted for its fall color, it is produced and sold in Minnesota.
Common Tansy | Tanacetum vulgare Oil on board, 10 x 10
Prevent seed maturation and dispersal into new areas. Brought to the US in the 1600s, Common Tansy has spread westward over time. Highly invasive and toxic to livestock, it degrades wildlife habitat and hinders restoration efforts.
Japanese Hops | Humulus japonicus Oil on board, 10 x 12
Prevent moving seed on clothing, vehicles, and equipment. Japanese Hops grow so rapidly that it can smother other plants causing them to break or fall. Introduced as an ornamental, it is not utilized for beer production.
Black Locust | Robinia pseudoacacia Oil on board, 10 x 20
Mowing and burning alone can stimulate suckering. Black Locust is native to North America, but not to Minnesota or the Upper Midwest. It can outcompete and exclude other tree species, native prairie, and savanna plants.
Porcelain Berry | Ampelopsis brevipedunculata Oil on board, 10 x 14
Pull any young vines. Fruit should be destroyed. Porcelain Berry overtakes other vegetation and can shade out native shrubs and trees, reducing species diversity. It was introduced as an ornamental landscape plant.
Giant Hogweed | Heracleum mantegazzianum Oil on board, 10 x 28
Removing plants by hand is dangerous due to toxic nature. Giant Hogweed displaces native plants increasing stream bank erosion. Native to the Caucasus region, it was introduced as a novelty plant. Established in Wisconsin.
Making the Work and Controling the Invasives:
The Gone to Seed gallery conversation has transitioned to a video series made in collaboration between artist Margi Grill and Three Rivers Park District’s Invasive Species Coordinator Missy Anderson. Invasive species are nonnative plants, animals, and pathogens that cause environmental damage, economic loss, or harm to human health. Public awareness and action are key to preventing the spread of invasive species. Margi and Missy share their perspectives through art and science.
