Blog

If you live or work in the Southeast, you have admired breathtaking trees that have made their home as part of the southern landscape. Beautiful, old trees that have been around for generations could tell some interesting stories to the intrusive trees that have moved in and taken over. We explore some of the main invasive trees impacting the Southeast and how to tackle them.

Diamond Mowers’ customer, Greg Gilbert, shared his experience with Diamond’s Excavator Forestry Disc Mulcher for vegetation management.

The Brazilian peppertree (Schinus terebinthifolius) grows natively in Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil, and Americans first brought it to Florida in the 1840s. Today, this invasive species occurs in some of the United States' warmest regions, including Florida, California, Hawaii, Texas, and Georgia.

Diamond Mowers’ customer, Michael Sarazin, shared his experience with Diamond’s Skid-Steer Forestry Disc Mulcher for vegetation management.

Sumac refers to approximately 35 species in the genus Rhus, a member of the Anacardiaceae flowering plant family. Sumac grows in various parts of the world, including temperate climates in Eastern North America.

Also known as tree borers, wood borers feed on and make habitats from trees and other woody plants. They belong to a variety of insect groups, including beetles, wasps, and moths, and are often the larva of these species.

In Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas, the eastern red-cedar (Juniperus virginiana L.) has substantially reduced livestock production and profitability by 75% in the rangelands it invades.

Originally limited to rocky bluffs and other areas where fire couldn't reach them, eastern red-cedar tree populations expanded with the introduction of European land management practices to the United States. A decrease in controlled burns allowed forests to spread, including this now-invasive species. It extended from its native Kansas to nearby states, where it overtakes prairie plant life.

Over the years of hunting with family and friends, I have had the pleasure of hunting on both well-maintained and overgrown land. There is nothing worse than hoofing through thick brush to get to a prime location and still not getting that clear shot due to overrun brush and trees.

The Australian pine is an invasive tree found primarily in FL, HI, CA, AZ, and TX. In 1898, the USDA first planted Australian pine to stabilize banks and use as lumber. Today, this invasive species interferes with the plants, wildlife, and soil around it.

The Asian Longhorned Beetle is a recently introduced non-native insect. This beetle can infest and kill hardwood trees in more than 15 plant families. Without eradication, this insect has the potential to be a  significant threat to trees in the United States.