Non-Native Invasive Plants

Hardy invasive non-native plants can get a foothold in this community. The harms caused by non-native invasive plants include competition with natives for soil nutrients, sunlight, and pollinators, and degradation of animal habitat. (* indicates non-native)

• garlic mustard* (low plant)
• Japanese barberry*  (shrub)
• Japanese honeysuckle*  (vine)
• Japanese stiltgrass*  (low plant)
• multiflora rose*  (shrub)
• oriental bittersweet*  (vine)
• wine raspberry*  (shrub)

Diseases, Pests, and Other Threats

Current and potential ecological threats for the Mixed Oak / Health Forest in Rock Creek Park include the following:

• Excessive deer browse: decimation of shrubs and oak seedlings
• Lack of fire: encroachment by fire-sensitive species such as tuliptree; disease
• Gypsy moth: damage to oaks
• Dogwood anthracnose: decline of flowering dogwood
• Foot and horse traffic: erosion due to sparse field layer and thin duff (Exception: where shrubs add a protective layer.)