AN UNWELCOME GUEST

Last week before our monthly Walking Tour, many of the curators were busy tidying up their areas in the Arboretum gardens.  Getting ready for visitors is a good incentive to weed, deadhead, and clean up debris.  Weeds rob desired plants of space, nutrients, and water.  We find that many weeds like to grow right next to plants we want.  Therefore, we must do a lot of hand weeding.  August isn't the easiest month to work outside, but your plants will thank you for it if you take away their competition.   One notorious invader at the Arboretum is the pictured mulberry weed  (Fatoua villosa).  This is a weed that reseeds readily and with wild abandon if it is left to flower and set seeds.    Read more about this unwelcome guest.