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Kennedy Park Map
GIS Mapping of Invasive Hardy Kiwi in Kennedy Park, Lenox, Massachusetts. Photo courtesy of NHESP

Managing invasive hardy kiwi varies depending on the amount of kiwi, the extent and area of kiwi coverage, and surrounding areas. Once kiwi is present, it is often hard to control. Its identification is difficult as it resembles some other plants such as grapevine, oriental bittersweet, and even the native American bittersweet. The suspected kiwi should be evaluated to ensure that it is not a native species and is indeed an invasive. After positive identification, management becomes the main question. The first step in managing an invasive species is developing a map of how much area is covered by the invasive species.

There are three methods of management: eradication, controlling the species, and isolating the species. Eradication is most effective with early detection and/or when small areas are compromised. It usually involved hand pulling the invasive hardy kiwi plants and close monitoring for a few years to ensure that all kiwi was removed and not regrowing. If the area is covered with more mature or dominant kiwi, then sometimes herbicide is used to kill the plants and hand pulling is used after the plants are completely dead and decomposing.

Eradication is the best case scenario but often, eradication is not possible due to seeds surviving or being dispersed by animals and therefore is usually not the end goal for organizations.

Controlling the invasive kiwi is usually used in most scenarios where kiwi was detected before it grew to its most dominant stage but it is still a substantial issue that covers a medium size area. In this case, eradication becomes impractical due to the size of plants or amount of potential seeds that exist in the areas. At this point, most organizations aim to control the species and it typically involves long term investments to ensure it remains under control. The teams usually come to do a quick evaluation of the area and decide how to go about managing the problem. The optimal option for most conservation organizations is to use hand pulling whenever possible and use minimal, targeted herbicides that only effect the invasive plants and not native species. After this is done, the area is monitored and treated yearly until a better option for management develops, funding and resources run out, or until it is decided that controlling the area is no longer a practical option (Massachusetts Division of Fish and Wildlife Service, Massachusetts Audubon, & Town of Lenox, 2015).

Foliar Spray

Foliar application of herbicides like the above picture of herbicide being applied to Japanese Knotweed, is just one method of management available for controlling hardy kiwi. Photo courtesy of Japanese Knotweed Eradication.

The last option of isolation is usually reserved for the worst scenarios or in rare, important habitat. This is when the invasive kiwi is too extreme to manage effectively and the costs and resources required to control it are beyond feasible. It is also used for scenarios where the invasive kiwi is overtaking land that is viewed as rare and vital such as wetlands or habitat known to include rare and endangered species (Massachusetts Audubon. 2017). At this point, organizations step in to isolate the invasive kiwi and eliminate it in only small doses where the habitat is most prevalent. This method is not ideal but sometimes it is the best option for areas due to the amount of time they were left with no management. Invasive kiwi can grow at least 100 feet up trees and spread over large areas making some areas unrecoverable.

This is why early detection and citizen awareness is necessary. This plant needs to stop being grown in the Northeast where it is already an invasive species in the Berkshires, Vermont, and even New York. It also has the potential to continue spreading throughout the Northeast and will contribute to the loss of forest habitat for native vegetation and wildlife (Griffen, 2015). The sooner the public takes action to prevent the spread of kiwi, the sooner we can begin recovery efforts to restore the natural communities of the Northeast United States.

Literature Cited:

Griffen, J. (2015, September 12). Hardy Kiwi: Delicious, Decorative, Destructive. Retrieved March 26, 2017, from http://blog.uvm.edu/fntrlst/2015/09/12/hardy-kiwi-delicious-decorative-destructive/#_ftn2

Massachusetts Audubon. (2017). Hardy Kiwi. Retrieved March 26, 2017, from http://www.massaudubon.org/learn/nature-wildlife/invasive-plants/hardy-kiwi

Massachusetts Division of Fish and Wildlife Service, Massachusetts Audubon, & Town of Lenox. (2015, Fall). Hardy Kiwi Removal in Kennedy Park. Retrieved March 26, 2017, from https://www.mass.gov/doc/miller-case-studies-for-successful-management-on-town-land-trust-lands/download?_ga=2.248870660.2038522840.1627313847-1743478201.1627313847

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