CT Invasive Species

Four Invasive Pests in CT

• Asian Longhorned Beetle   CT DEEP Asian Longhorned Beetle Information

The Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive Asian Beetle, was found in CT in 2012. Originally found in the US in 2002, this destructive insect is spreading across the country and is responsible for the death and decline of ash tree species.

• Emerald Ash Borer Information     Emerald Ash Borer Fact Sheet   CT DEEP Emerald Ash Borer Information

If you have ash trees on your property, please be alert for any signs of this insect. Ash Trees make up about 4% of the trees in CT and up to 20% of the urban trees in some communities. Ash Tree Identification

• Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata).
• Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum).
• Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii), which harbors ticks.
• Japanese stilt grass (Microstegium vimineum).
• Mile-a-Minute vine (Persicaria perfoliata), which is a very aggressive grower.
• Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora).
• Oriental  bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) whose vines choke trees.
• Phragmites (Phragmites australis) a wetland grass that diminishes the diversity of water bodies.
• Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), which is a wetland plant.
• Winged euonymus, also commonly known as Burning bush (Euonymus alatus), which decreases diversity in our woodlands.

More Resources for Invasive Plants

• Invasive Plant Atlas of New England (IPANE)
• CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, "Invasive Species"
• US Department of Agriculture, "Plants"
• US Department of Agriculture, "CT State Resources"
• CT Audubon, "Remove Invasive Plants"
• US Fish & Wildlife Service, "Frequently Asked Questions about Invasive Species"
• Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District, "Invasive Plants in Your Backyard"

Questions and concerns can be directed to:

City of Bristol Streets Supervisor at (860) 584-7792 x1 or The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station at (203) 974-8474