Buckthorn Busts Ongoing in Plymouth

Buckthorn is an attractive plant, but it’s also unwanted. Imported to the U.S. as an ornamental hedge, it quickly started taking over. Now, wooded areas are full of the stuff, which chokes out native plants and contributes to soil erosion.

This past Saturday a group of volunteers in Plymouth held a buckthorn bust. Citizen crews in Maple Creek Park and at the Hardenbergh Open Space spent the morning pulling the problem plant. That’s an important task. Buckthorn is classified by the Minnesota DNR as a restricted, noxious weed. That means it’s illegal to buy or sell it. And you aren’t even allowed to transport it unless it’s straight to a disposal site.

It also means you should get rid of it whenever you find it on your property. And if you’d like to help Plymouth get rid of it in the city’s parks and open spaces, here’s your chance. There are more buckthorn busts coming up:

There’s a bust Saturday, Oct 26 from 9am to noon at Hardenberg Open Space. And there’ll be busts at Maple Creek Park Oct. 26 and Nov 2 from 9 to 1pm. If you’d like to volunteer, call the city’s volunteer program at 763-509-5230.

Plymouth