An invasive species is popping up in Boston – and it’s threatening monarch butterflies
By Logan Hall
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BOSTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — An invasive weed is taking over gardens across Greater Boston. Black swallow-wort is having a deadly impact on wildlife, especially the monarch butterfly population, said Mass Audubon Senior Conservation Ecologist Flavio Sutti.
“It’s one of the most challenging aspects of my work because it’s very hard to control,” Sutti said. “They are one of the causes that decreases biodiversity. For example, they have an impact on rare species because they take away their habitat.”
The risk to monarch butterflies
Monarch butterflies, in particular, are impacted because the black swallow-wort is in the same family as milkweed, where monarch butterflies lay their eggs.
“So they are perceiving it as good host for their eggs, but the babies cannot survive on that host,” Sutti said. “So, basically, there is not a new recruit of monarchs if they lay eggs on black swallow-wort.”
Sutti said climate change has contributed to more of the weeds sprouting up in the area. His work includes trying to contain invasive plants like black swallow-wort.
How to get rid of black swallow-wort
If you see black swallow-wort in your garden, there are ways to solve the problem.
“Minimally, one of the things everybody can do when they see it – especially this time of year when the seed pods are maturing – is remove all the seed pods,” Sutti said. “That’s an action that anybody can do. A least it prevents the species (from spreading).”
Sutti said black swallow-wort are persistent. If you have some in your yard, once you have cut them down and dug out the roots, put them directly into the trash. If you let them linger in your garden, they will do everything they can to make their way back into the ground.
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