Our Club is continuing its efforts to eliminate invasive plants in our area. Teasel is the tall (3 to 8 foot) "thistle" with white or purple blooms that shoots up along roadsides and vacant lots. Teasel reproduces without opposition, tending to crowd out desired plants and creating "visual blight".
The result of unhindered teasel may be observed along side Route 53 as you exit on the way to Lake-Cook Road.
Remove Visual Blight - Teasel
On Tuesday, August 11, a group of Rotarians launched an exploratory attack on the unsightly weed, teasel, which inhabits many roadsides in Lake County. This invasive is a tall “thistle”, often 8 feet tall with white or purple/pink blooms. Each plant may spew up to 2000 seeds in the 2-week bloom time each summer. The stalks, if not removed, remain as dark brown “poles” throughout the winter into the next season.
Several community park districts and naturalist societies are making attempts to reduce the “visual blight” which teasel brings to our area. Teasel also has a number of other disadvantages to our environment, crowding out native plants and spreading more rapidly than is easily controlled. It is not only invasive, it is very resistant to its own demise. If it is cut down too early, it will bolt anyway and soon produce the seed heads one wishes to eliminate. It is a “biennial” and only blooms in its second year, then dying after casting off its seeds. During the first year teasel is a flat rosette somewhat reminiscent of a large dandelion base.
The Rotary Club of Long Grove, Kildeer, Hawthorn Woods with other Rotary Clubs has expressed concern about invasive plants for some time. Recently, this club has launched what it hopes will be a long term, sustained effort to reduce this ugly invader.
The recent outing involved the identification of several locations, at least one in each of the base communities of its club, and removal of a modest number of spent stalks from last year and currently blooming plants. The goal of this effort was to gather information and data so that a sound and sustainable plan may be developed. A guide to that planning will be efforts already launched the the Long Grove Park District and Citizens for Conservation and local citizens who have had a concern about this infestation on or near their own property. It is agreed that the cooperative sustained efforts of several organizations and many individuals will be necessary to greatly reduce teasel in our region.
The local Rotarians will have another work day to remove teasel plants and to identify blighted areas on August 25. They welcome support of any kind toward this project and those interested in participating, contributing, supporting, or just learning about progress in reducing the visual blight of teasel may call or text 847 219-2131 or send an email to longgroverotaryinfo@gmail.com