Do Not Plant

Just say "no" to lesser celandine.

We talk a lot here on the A.T. festival website about what you should be planting. (Hint: Go native!) The flip side of that coin is what not to plant and what to "un-plant."

That's where one of our festival partners comes in: Blue Ridge PRISM. This hard-working nonprofit began as a volunteer-driven organization dedicated to reducing the negative impact of invasive plants in the northern Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Effective invasive plant control is a community and neighborhood issue because these aggressive plants know no boundaries.  Flowing water, birds, hikers, vehicles and animals' scat all help to spread their seeds.

​Have you seen a thick vine squeezing the life out of a tree? In our area, too many Asiatic bittersweet vines are doing just that. Have you seen a mat of grass smother forest wildflowers? Japanese stilt grass might be the culprit. Talk to the folks from Blue Ridge PRISM at the festival and ask your questions. (You might want to bring pictures of any plants you're wondering about!)

Plus, throughout the year, Blue Ridge PRISM offers virtual and in-person workshops that can teach all of us how to identify and eradicate invasive plants in our area. Upcoming events include:

• April 10, 1-3 p.m. Identifying invasive plants. 
• April 12, 1-3 p.m. Management and control of invasive plants. 
• April 19, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. All about Callery Pear with guest speaker David Coyle. 

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