The good the bad and the ugly: What’s popping and what to be concerned about!

Cherry trees and redbuds, magnolias, forsythia, tulips, dogwoods and all the other flowering plants make the Washington, DC, area a special place to be in the springtime. Then there are the ‘bad and ugly’ for what they do to the environment, although they might look quite nice at first glance. Below are two invasive weeds to be aware of for their impact on our local ecosystem. Now is a good time to spot all them and remove them — or better yet, don’t plant them to begin with! The information is taken from Blue Ridge Prism with links to their website for further information.

Callery Pear

Native to China, Callery pear — especially its cultivar 'Bradford' — was widely planted beginning in the 1960s. With its white flowers and attractive fall foliage, Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) was beloved by landscapers and homeowners alike.

Unfortunately, this tree has escaped cultivation and is spreading rapidly in the wild. Now, our forests are paying the price for the Bradford pear's popularity. Callery pear is considered one of the biggest threats to our forests and native plants.

Yet, despite the threats they pose, Callery pear's cultivars continue to be sold by nurseries in Virginia and elsewhere. The most common cultivars include:

Do not purchase or plant any Callery pear cultivars.

Blue Ridge Prism - Callery pear fact sheet

Lesser celandine

Also known as fig buttercup, lesser celandine (Ficaria verna) is native to Europe and parts of northern Africa and Asia. It was introduced to the United States in the late 1860s as an ornamental plant. Lesser celandine grows so densely and rapidly that it forms continuous mats of thick foliage.

These mats smother native ephemerals and prevent seeds of wildflowers, grasses, and trees from germinating. Lesser celandine is locally common in the Potomac River and James River watersheds, and is spreading rapidly throughout Virginia. It is capable of taking over bottomland forests and lawns near suburban areas.

Blue Ridge Prism - Lesser celandine fact sheet