The City of Plymouth is seeking volunteers to help with upcoming Buckthorn Busts at Plymouth parks – an annual series of coordinated efforts to remove the invasive plant from the city.
Location: East Medicine Lake Park, 1740 E. Medicine Lake Blvd.
Date: 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 21
To participate, email volunteer@plymouthmn.gov or call the city’s volunteer coordinator at 763-509-5230. Visit the Volunteer Opportunities webpage to learn more.
About Buckthorn Busts
According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, buckthorn is designated as a restricted noxious weed in Minnesota. It's illegal to import, sell or transport common, European, glossy or alder buckthorn in this state. The invasive species chokes out native plants, reproduces rapidly and dominates the area.
Weed wrenches and other tools can be borrowed from the city. Resources needed for busts include gardening gloves, shovels, shears, a hand-held saw and an herbicide. Buckthorn must be pulled by the root to be effectively eradicated from the area. Shovels may be needed to remove larger, well-rooted plants, while gardening sheers may be used to cut the smaller shoots.
If the root remains, it will sprout again. If removal of the root is not feasible, an herbicide, such as Roundup Concentrate Plus with 18-20% glyphosate, can be applied to the freshly cut buckthorn stump to prevent it from growing back. If an herbicide is not applied to the stump, five to eight shoots will grow up around the previously cut area.
