Yard Watch

YARD WATCH 1

Trees in Fairfax County are being overtaken by invasive vines, and native plants are being crowded out by non-native invasives, vastly reducing our population of native birds, and pollinators such as butterflies and bees. In the coming months, this new section of the supervisor newsletter will bring you ideas for how to save your trees from invasive vines, rid your yard of non-native plants, and create a more biodiverse yard space through the inclusion of native plants.  This month we encourage you to check out these resources:

Fairfax Invasive Removal Alliance (FIRA): Consider having your neighborhood association join this coalition that is uniting Fairfax County residents to address the native plants crisis     www.https://firaadvocacy.com

Plant NOVA Natives:   Make using native plants in the Northern Virginia landscape easy and fun with everything from a plant finder app to a list of sustainable landscapers    www.https://plantnovanatives.crg

Blue Ridge Prism:   Check your yard for the invasive plants identified on their fact sheets and learn ways to eradicate these   www.https://blueridgeprism.org

YARD WATCH 2
Asiatic Bittersweet, a climbing vine with red berries surrounded by yellow capsules, is beautiful in the Fall, but a deadly invasive strangler of trees. Check your yard for this invasive tree vine. For more information on how to identify Asiatic Bittersweet and eradicate it, go to https://mailchi.mp/blueridgeprism/weed-alert-asiatic-bittersweet