Buckthorn can be easier to spot for removal in the fall. Click on the link to learn more…
If you are standing in your backyard and see all the bushes and trees have dropped their leaves except one type that is still pretty green, you’re probably looking at buckthorn. The City encourages the removal of buckthorn by residents because it is a non-native shrub that tends to take over the forest understory and crowd out other beneficial plants. Buckthorn plants can resprout from untreated stumps left in the ground, so be sure to treat stumps with a brush strength herbicide containing glyphosate or remove the stump by pulling. Be sure to check out the City’s Annual Tree and Shrub Sale each spring to replant desirable species.