![]() ![]() A single shrub can produce as many 3,500 pods containing up to 20,000 seeds. When the seed pods shatter, broom seeds are dispersed explosively up to 3-4 meters from individual plants. ![]() For now.Since spring, this stand of French broom has recolonized the slope near the driveway Thanks to the hard work of multiple ACE crews over several years across a number of the Land Trust’s protected properties, and the dedication of many outstanding Land Trust volunteers, large swaths of French broom have met their demise.Īnd while not a Hollywood ending, this is a happy one. “Additionally, because of its height and woodiness, French broom poses a significant fire risk as it grows tall enough to bridge the gap between low brush and the tree canopy,” said Bouchahine. “Removal of invasives is an important part of conservation work, as these invasive species can upset the balance of local ecosystems,” said ACE crew leader Ashley Bouchahine. ACE is a non-profit that lends a hand to groups who may need help with their conservation work, and provides young people with a chance to work outdoors, whether restoring trails, surveying wildlife, or in this case, removing invasive plants with the Land Trust. Last year, American Conservation Experience (ACE) volunteers paid a visit to a Land Trust preserve where they spent three days pulling up and removing French broom in an area that sprouted up after the 2017 fires. A weed wrench can be used to remove plants and roots, ideally before the seed has been produced. As a perennial, French broom will also grow back from the root crown, unless the taproot is removed. ![]() With light sabers, infinity stones and time travel not yet possible in the Land Trust’s fight against French broom, the work ends up being as basic as it gets. In fact, fire often stimulates French broom seed germination. A large number of dormant French broom seeds in the soil seed bank can lead to very high germination rates following any type of soil or vegetation disturbance, such as a wildfire. “It takes advantage of the cleared habitat.”Ī medium-sized shrub of French Broom can produce over 8,000 seeds a year. “The term I would use for French broom – and this is just me and not a formally recognized term – is post-fire opportunist,” said local botanist Jake Ruygt. With the recent wildfires in Napa County, you might think that at least some of the French broom had been eliminated, allowing native plants a better chance going forward.īut like the plot from the obvious sci-fi movie, French broom uses this to its advantage, growing back even more aggressively thanks to a newly stimulated seed bank that can lie dormant for up to 30 years. ![]() Because of this, it can increase both the frequency and severity of fires in invaded areas. French broom, which often grows in dense patches, burns readily and provides ladders fuels that can carry fire to the forest canopy layer. At the time it was introduced, little did anyone know that it would soon escape the gardens and aggressively crowd out native plants, while also increasing fire hazards. striatus), and Spanish broom (Spartium junceum).įrench Broom’s green stems and small yellow flowers look innocent enough. It is the most widespread of four nonnative invasive broom species that occur in North America, including Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius), Portuguese broom (C. However, when you compare that plotline to the lifecycle of French broom, this plant’s life imitates art, supplying the Land Trust of Napa County with an ongoing stewardship battle on their protected lands.įrench broom is a non-native plant species that was introduced from Europe in the mid-1800’s for local gardens and then spread across Napa County. Science fiction movies with aliens that invade and reproduce rapidly, even after a fire seems to wipe them out, might seem to the everyday fan of the genre as too obvious a story line. ![]()
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