Blenheim Park
Hello
THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG HERE (BUCKTHORN IN THE GREENWAY, RESTORATION)
Take a look around you. It’s a forest with tall trees. Lots of understory. No obvious signs of habitat
degradation. Seems like a normal forest. What could possibly be wrong? Take a closer look at the shrub
layer. You may notice that it seems to be dominated by one plant species in particular. This plant is
European Buckthorn (Rhanmus cathartica).
Buckthorn is a highly adaptable plant that was introduced to Canada as a popular hedge species to be trimmed and shaped for landscaping purposes.
However, once this plant is left to its own devices, it produces copious amounts of viable seed that enables the plant to spread into adjacent areas, including unmanaged riparian corridors like the Seine River Greenway.
Buckthorn is very tolerant of shade which enables it to establish and grow rapidly in forests. It has little-to-no habitat value for native wildlife
including birds. Its seedlings grow in dense thickets that out-compete nearly all regenerating ground vegetation.
Over time, as the healthy trees and shrubs around you age-expire, there are less and less new tree seedlings and native shrubs to restore forest cover. The forest eventually loses its ability to regenerate and is replaced by a virtual monoculture of unpleasant buckthorn and an ecologically impoverished riparian greenway.
The good news is that this trend is reversible. Buckthorn can be removed efficiently using a variety of techniques. The Save Our Seine River Environment (SOS) is actively removing buckthorn in priority areas
like Blenheim Park.
Much work is still required as some of the heaviest infestations in Winnipeg occur along the Seine River in the Glenwood neighborhood.
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If you would like to know more about European
buckthorn and would like to help please email info@saveourseine.com.