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Common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), a fast-growing shrub native to Europe and Asia, is aggressively spreading through riparian areas along the Flathead River system. Though it may seem harmless, buckthorn can quickly take over, eliminating native plant diversity. It leafs out earlier in spring and holds its leaves later into fall, shading out native species and robbing them of sunlight and nutrients. Birds eat the berries – which have a laxative effect – helping the seeds spread far and wide. Over time, buckthorn forms dense thickets that degrade wildlife habitat, block river access, and impact recreational use.
The Montana Department of Agriculture is working to map the spread of buckthorn in the region. Locally, Flathead Audubon has begun removing buckthorn from the Owen Sowerwine Conservation Area and is reaching out to neighboring landowners to prevent it from taking hold more broadly. Early detection and coordinated action are key to protecting the Flathead’s river corridors.
What You Can Do:
Please share this information with your neighbors, friends, and fellow river users! Together we can protect the health of our riparian ecosystems.
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Volunteers Take on Buckthorn at Owen Sowerwine
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| This fall, Flathead Audubon volunteers returned to the Owen Sowerwine Conservation Area to continue removal efforts targeting Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica).
This invasive shrub, which spreads rapidly along river corridors, has become well-established in several areas of the site. This year’s work focused on both mature trees and dense blankets of buckthorn seedlings. Volunteers carefully clipped the small seedlings and treated the cut stems with a glyphosate solution using dauber bottles, allowing native species like snowberry and chokecherry to remain. For the larger, mature buckthorn, Denny Olson – Flathead Audubon’s former Educator, who began these efforts six years ago – used an injection lance to place glyphosate capsules into the cambium layer of the trees. This method delivers the herbicide directly to the root system, with most treated trees expected to die back by spring.
Flathead Audubon’s ongoing buckthorn removal at Owen Sowerwine is part of a broader effort to reduce the spread of invasive plants and protect native plant diversity and wildlife habitat along the Flathead River system. Click here to learn more about the Owen Sowerwine Conservation Area. |
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