Category Archives: Invasive species

Sericea Lespedeza Control – Summer Burning and Herbicide Treatments

Posted on August 20, 2026 by jmasonfpdwc

By: Barbara Sherwood and Julianne Mason, Forest Preserve District of Will County, IL Key Takeaways Background At one of our prairie preserves near Braidwood, Illinois, we have incorporated late-August prescribed burns into a rotating program of primarily dormant season burns. … Continue reading →

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Are Two Sweeps Enough? Conversations with the Crew

Posted on August 13, 2026 by Clara Barton

By: Every summer, Nachusa’s field crew spends long days walking through prairie vegetation searching for birdsfoot trefoil. At first glance, it sounds simple enough. Find the plant. Spray the plant. Move on. But birdsfoot trefoil rarely cooperates. Some plants flower … Continue reading →

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Comparison of Transline and Milestone-Based Treatment for Birdsfoot Trefoil Control

Posted on August 6, 2026 by Clara Barton

Invasive Species Researcher Clara Barton sets out to determine which herbicide treatment is most effective for treating Birdsfoot Trefoil. Continue reading →

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Comparing Herbicide Treatments for Bouncing Bet in a Grassland Restoration

Posted on July 30, 2026 by Clara Barton

A small field trial at Nachusa Grasslands found that adding a surfactant dramatically improved the effectiveness of Telar XP when treating bouncing bet (Saponaria officinalis). While both Crossbow and Telar XP plus surfactant provided strong short-term control, continued monitoring will determine which treatment offers the best long-term suppression of this rhizomatous invasive plant. Continue reading →

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Nachusa Grasslands Invasive Plant Monitoring Technician

Posted on July 9, 2026 by Grassland Restoration Network blog

By Clara Barton Hello, my name is Clara Barton, I am the new Invasive Plant Monitoring Technician for Nachusa Grasslands. I recently received my master’s degree in ecology with a dissertation focused on studying the spatial biodiversity of grasslands. I … Continue reading →

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Post-Burn Basal Bark Treatments: A Game Changer for Invasive Shrub Control

Posted on May 14, 2026 by jmasonfpdwc

By: Julianne Mason, Forest Preserve District of Will County Over the past decade, we’ve consistently found basal bark herbicide treatment to be the most efficient and effective way to control invasive shrubs. In fact, we now use basal bark treatments … Continue reading →

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Tall Goldenrod Management Study

Posted on November 20, 2025 by jmasonfpdwc

Year-Three Results – August 2025 By: Karen Glennemeier – Habitat Research LLC and Jeff Weiss – Living Lands Conservation Company Tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima) has become one of our most aggressive invasive species, especially in newly-opened woodlands and young prairie … Continue reading →

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Control of Lespedeza cuneata

Posted on October 23, 2025 by Grassland Restoration Network blog

By Jeff Horn, IL DNR district heritage biologist for Ogle, Winnebago, DeKalb, Kane, and DuPage counties based out of Castle Rock State Park Lespedeza cuneata (commonly referred to as Sericea or Chinese bush clover) is a perennial wildflower introduced into … Continue reading →

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Clethodim Treatment Tracking – Reed Canary Grass

Posted on May 29, 2025 by jmasonfpdwc

By: Julianne Mason, Forest Preserve District of Will County, Illinois For the past decade or so, I have had a slow-burn obsession with tracking the outcomes of spring treatments of clethodim herbicide, to reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea). It is … Continue reading →

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Basal Bark Herbicide Treatments for Invasive Shrubs – the Type of Oil Carrier Matters!

Posted on May 1, 2024 by jmasonfpdwc

By: Julianne Mason, Ecological Management Supervisor, Forest Preserve District of Will County, IL If you haven’t read Kaleb Baker’s recent post about his study that showed the effectiveness of basal bark treating amur honeysuckle, an invasive shrub, please do so … Continue reading →

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