Header image  
Creating and preserving
wildlife habitat for over 25 years
 
  
 
P.O. Box 1745
  46 Pennsylvania Ave.
  Easton, MD 21601
  410-822-5100
    info@cheswildlife.org
   
 
 
PHRAGMITES CONTROL

Controlling invasive, noxious weeds in wetlands

Phragmites continues to invade the Eastern Shore and other parts of Maryland at an alarming rate. Not only does it grow so tall that it blocks your shoreline view, more importantly, it grows so thick it can destroy a wetland’s fragile ecosystem by choking out the beneficial and native wetland plants, becoming a monoculture with little wildlife habitat value.

Also known as "common reed," Phragmites is an invasive plant that thrives in either fresh or brackish wetland areas. It spreads rapidly through its rhizome system and can easily take over an entire wetland in a matter of a few years. Because it is so dense, phragmites will choke out the beneficial wetland plants and therefore provides little habitat value for wildlife.

CWH initiated its Phragmites Control program to slow the rapid spread of this invasive wetland plant and restore diverse wetland ecosystems. A 5-year research study by CWH documented that once a pure stand of Phragmites was eliminated, 61 different species of plants emerged from the existing wetland seedbed.

CWH licensed biologists use a glyphosate (Rodeo) solution that when applied at a critical time period in the late fall, kills the phragmites but not the other beneficial native wetland plants.

In the fall of 2007, CWH sprayed more than 200 properties in Talbot, Queen Anne’s, Kent, Caroline, Dorchester and Anne Arundel counties to improve the biodiversity of more than 170 acres of wetlands. Phragmites will never disappear from Maryland’s shoreline. Our goal is to control its spread, saving our wetlands from further destruction.

The 2008 deadline for submitting an application to CWH for Phragmites spraying is July 2, 2008. Please call (410) 822-5100, or e-mail us at info@cheswildlife.org

 


 CWH is a proud member of Environmental Fund for Maryland


 
 

PHRAGMITES FAQS

NATIVE PLANT LIST



  
 

CWH is accepting applications for our next fall spraying program. The deadline is July 15, 2008.  Please call (410) 822-5100, or
e-mail us