 | Tree of Heaven: Ailanthus altissima: Originally from
China; rapid growing tree to 80 feet tall; alternate, compound leaves, 10-40
leaflets with smooth margins on 1- to 3-foot stalks. Large terminal clusters
of small yellowish-green flowers yield wing-shaped fruit on female trees.
Forms thickets and dense stands. |
 | Mimosa: Albizia julibrissin. Brought from Asia in
1745 as an ornamental, mimosa is a deciduous tree with alternate, doubly
compound leaves and showy, fragrant pink blossoms. Leguminous seedpods persist
during winter. Leaves resemble those of honeylocust. |
 | Tall Fescue: Lolium arundinaceaum. Tall fescue is a
vigorous, perennial, bunch grass which may have short slowly spreading
rhizomes. This grass, often cultivated in wet pastures for forage or for turf,
is a perennial, 3 to 4 foot tall clump grass with medium-wide leaves that are
rough-ribbed on top. |
 | Yellow Star Thistle: Centaurea repens. Native to
southern Europe, it grows in disturbed, sunny sites at low to middle
elevations. An annual plant that can reach up to one meter in height. The
flowering heads have long tan spines, some of which exceed 0.4 inches in
length. The vegetative part of the plant is spineless. The stem has obvious
leafy wings. |
 | Salt Cedar: (Tamarix spp.). Salt cedars are
characterized by slender branches and gray-green foliage. The bark of young
branches is smooth and reddish-brown. As the plants age, the bark becomes
brownish-purple, ridged and furrowed. Leaves are scale-like, about 1/16 inch
long and overlap each other along the stem. They are often encrusted with salt
secretions. From March to September, large numbers of pink to white flowers
appear in dense masses on 2-inch long spikes at branch tips. |
 | Chinaberrytree: Melia azedarach. Introduced from
Asia in the mid-1800s as an ornamental tree. Dark green leaves are doubly
compound, alternate, deciduous, and display bright yellow fall colors. Fruit is
spherical, about ½" in diameter, yellow, persists on the tree in winter and is
poisonous. |
20Privet.jpg "Glossy (Japanese) Privet") | Glossy (Japanese) Privet: Ligustrum lucidum, L.
japonicum. Also known as wax-leaf ligustrum, glossy privet is an evergreen
shrub or small tree to 30 ft tall with glossy 2-4 inch pointed, waxy leaves
arranged opposite each other on the stem. Small white flowers yield clusters
of blue-black berries. Native to China, Korea, Japan. Commonly planted as in
hedgerows, but has become invasive in certain areas. |
 | Siberian Elm: Ulmus pulmila. This elm is
distinguished by its small, elliptical, smooth, singly-toothed leaves, that
reach lengths of 0.8-2.6 inches. They are tapering or rounded at their
asymmetrical base. The alternate leaves are dark green and smooth above, paler
and nearly hairless beneath. Foliage is slightly pubescent when young. Flowers
are greenish, lack petals, and occur in small drooping clusters of 2-5
blossoms. The winged fruits are about 1/2 inch wide and hang in clusters. |
 | Giant Cane Reed: Arundo donax. Corn-like stems to 20
feet in height; gray-green, hairless stems with long lanceolate alternate
leaves that droop at ends. Terminals form dense plumes of flowers to 36 inches
long. |
 | Chaste Tree: Vitex agnus-castus. Leaves are
opposite, fan-shaped and compound, 2 to 6 inches across, usually five leaflets
per leaf (sometimes 7); leaflets mostly elongated with smooth margins, dark
and shiny green above and pale hairs below; very aromatic when crushed. The
flower is bright blue-lilac, very fragrant, in slender spiked clusters at the
branch tips, to 8 inches. Fruit is round and fleshy. |